President is confident that Armenia can become a technological, scientific and educational center: To hold next STARMUS in Armenia is yet another opportunity to present our country to the international community

President Sarkissian, who is in the Swiss Confederation on a working visit, participated in Zurich at the panel discussions held in the framework of the STARMUS international festival of science and art. World-famous scientists, astronauts, Nobel Laureates presented their views on the agenda items. In his statement Armen Sarkissian said in particular, “To live a full life, we need to learn something new every day, need to discover, to love and be creative. Any mission begins with a dream, then it becomes a strategic plan which in its turn becomes a mission for the entire nation. I am confident that we have a mission to make our country a technological, scientific and educational center: We have all prerequisites for that.” In the framework of the STARMUS festival.

President Sarkissian also had meetings with some of the participants.

Armen Sarkissian met with Francisco Sanchez, Director of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and discussed opportunities of cooperation with the Byurakan observatory.

With the renowned Canadian physicist, 2018 Noble Prize winner Donna Strickland President Sarkissian spoke about the role of science and current development trends.

The interlocutors underscored the importance of encouraging and inspiring the young people who work in science. As an example, the President of Armenia highlighted scientific achievements of Donna Srickland and assessed as outstanding her contribution to the area of pulsed lasers. Scientific and technological progress as well as the cooperation with Armenia where the main topics of the President’s conversation with the founder of the Nest Labs company Tony Fadell. Tony Fadell received the 2017 RA Presidential Award for his global contribution to the area of information technologies.

After the meeting, responding to the questions related to the importance of STARMUS, President Sarkissian noted that bringing together world-famous scientists, Nobel Prize Laureates, over a dozen of astronauts (particularly astronauts of the famous Apollo mission) and renowned musicians is a means of making science more popular and attractive. “The STARMUS festival is a venue where art, science, astronomy, great scientists, great musicians come together,” President Sarkissian said.

“The exploration of the universe, along with the scientific value, forms and methods, which are being employed to understand it, has another kind of beauty. Thus, it is also an art and in a sense has an absolute harmony which can be found also in music.”

In the framework of the scientific and technical development discussions, the President of Armenia said in particular, “When a nation has a mission, it gathers all its potential in one place to achieve that goal. I believe that our nation has a goal to become a technologically and scientifically advanced country.” He noted with satisfaction that many children in Armenia want to be software engineers. “I wish they would dream of becoming not only software engineers but also scientists – mathematicians, physicians, chemists, biologists, or experts of artificial intelligence because the future belongs to them. To make these professions attractive, much should be done by the president, by the government, and by the state in general,” Armen Sarkissian said. He viewed as important for the young people to get excited and understand that scientific work is not a duty. “Working in science or technology areas should be a pleasant thing. At the same time, they should feel that are engaged in the most contemporary, most interesting activity which enjoys everyone’s deep respect,” President Sarkissian said. “The Nobel Prize is one of the world’s greatest award in science; However, there are individuals present in this hall who are famous artists, musicians. And they bow to the world’s greatest scientists.”

Speaking once again about the proposal-invitation to hold the next STARMUS in Armenia, Armen Sarkissian noted that it would be another opportunity to present our country to the international community. In this way, Armenia will become a meeting point for the world-famous scientists, Nobel Prize Laureates, astronauts, and great musicians. “I hope that the 6th STARMUS will inspire our young people to engage not only in music and arts but also in science,” the President of Armenia said.