Todaymembers of the Winners’ Club of  Presidential Educational Award, and students at State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), specializing at microelectronic circuits, had a unique chance to meetwiththe US Ambassador to the Republic of ArmeniaJohn Heffern at Synopsys Armenia R&D Center (Arshakunyats 41).  General Manager of VivaCell-MTS Ralph Yirikian, President of Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of ArmeniaArsen Ghazaryan, Director of Unicomp Armen Baldryan,CEO and Chairman Viasphere International, Inc. Tony Moroyan and other guests have attended the meeting. 

The Chairman of the Presidential Educational Award Committee Hovik Musayelyan opened the meeting by introducing speakers. "Such meetings with honorable people are very important for our students and Presidential IT Award winners. They get involved in a direct communication with interesting people with rich experiences, and have a chance to get answers to questions they always wanted to ask," said Hovik Musayelyan."These meetings are also very important for our guests as well, who get to spend time with the best students and receive solid feedback about situation in our country." 

The meeting took place in the format of fireside chat, where the US Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia John Heffern and the Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Strategic Alliances at Synopsys and CEO of Synopsys Armenia Rich Goldman held an informal conversation on a variety of topics includingthe Ambassador’s career path, his expectations of Armenia, as well as, IT sector, social enterpreunership, social media, economy and education. As always, the meeting was followed by a Q&A session. Traditionally, the speaker  was presented with the Honorary Member Award and the Winners’ Club member emblem. 

"I think I was surpised by the warmness of the people towards me and towards United States, and the talents of the people and the success, like the IT industry, how talented the people are and how Armenia despite its economic challenges found ways to make real progress in high tech areas, like IT and telecommunications," said the Ambassador, speaking about his biggest surpises in Armenia. "I really do think that IT is the transformative sector for Armenia. I really do believe that Armenia’s future is a knoweldge-based economy and these talented young people are the ones that are going to make Armenia a successful, prosperous country." 

“Each of those meetings is unique in its style and format. Sometimes it is an open discussion, when our guests share their secrets and dreams, sometimes it is an appeal for cooperation and assistance in developing our fatherland, sometimes it is a master class on various innovative topics. I am sure that this meeting too inspired each of us to continue to study and always strive for more,”saidthe President of the Winners clubAni Harutyunyan. 

About Winners’ Club

The Presidential Educational Award Winners’ Club was founded with support of Synopsys Armenia CJSC on October 1, 2008 upon approval of the President of theRepublic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. The mission of the Club is to serve as a unique pool of Armenia’s future scientific and economic elite and to provide a productive venue for Winners’ contribution to the development of the IT sphere in Armenia. The Club, currently comprised of more than 150 members, is a growing network of the winners of Annual Educational Award of President of RA and International/ Republic Olympiads in the IT sphere. The Winners’ Club hosts regular meetings with distinguishedindividuals not only in the IT sphere but also in all spheres of social, economic, and political life. The meetings are designed in a master-class format, with guest speakerssharing their insight and success stories in different subject areas, followed by Q&A session. As the main organizer of the Presidential Educational Award and the key initiator of Winners’ Club, Synopsys Armenia is assisting with the organization of the above mentioned meetings. 

About Presidential Educational Award

On June 2nd, 2005 the President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan issued a decree establishing an Annual Educational Award of the President of the Republic of Armenia inthe IT Sphere (Presidential Educational Award). The Presidential Educational Award annually honors top students in the IT sphere, who have demonstrated excellent achievements in their studies and research work through the highest grades, involvement in social programs, participation in Olympiads and other competitions, publishing scientific papers or articles, and who have comprehensive knowledge and talent.Designed under the slogan “Recognize the best, inspire the next”, the Award serves as a strong incentive for Armenia’s youth to further enhance their expertise and build on the longlastingtradition of engineering excellence. The Presidential Educational Award consists of a diploma,monetary prize, and a trophy evoking IT.The Awarding Program is implemented by Award Board andCommittee appointed by the President of the Republic ofArmenia. Synopsys Inc. and Synopsys Armenia CJSC are thekey initiators, main organizers and sponsors of the program.Hayastan All-Armenian Fund participates in the program as anorganizational partner. 

Candidates eligible for the Presidential Educational Award are the best students, who attend the following educational institutions: State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), Yerevan State University (YSU), Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (RAU), European Regional Academy (ERA), American University of Armenia (AUA), A. Shahinyan Physical and Mathematical Secondary School under the auspices of YSU,SEUA Yerevan High School, Quantum College, Anania Shirakatsi Armenian National Lyceum, Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex, Photon College of Gyumri, Evrika Vanadzor Special School of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Ayb high school. The Award is granted in the following nominations: Grand Prix, Best Master Student, Best Bachelor Student, Best Diaspora Student, Best Female Student and Best High School Student. During the past seven years 241 top university and high school students have been awarded with the Presidential Educational Award. —