The event dedicated to the launch of the "Generation AI" program was held today at the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.
During the event, the parties represented by the RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vahram Dumanyan and the Founding CEO of the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) Armen Orujyan signed a cooperation agreement, which outlines the general directions of the program.
Congratulating those present on the launch of the program, Minister Vahram Dumanyan noted that the "Generation AI" program will lay the foundation for the organization of artificial intelligence in education in a number of high schools in Armenia, which will be launched from Tavush region.
“We need to develop regulations regarding the credit system of the outcomes, so that students who study this program and continue their professional education at the university will have the opportunity to transfer the knowledge acquired at school in the form of a credit to the university system,” noted the Minister and added that in this regard, of course, a close cooperation between the school and the university should be established so that issues of mutual recognition and compliance of programs are regulated.
Vahram Dumanyan considered it symbolic that the start of the program is given on Knowledge and School Day: “We are obliged to develop this direction to have an education field that meets international standards, is recognized, appreciated and accepted in the international education system.”
“We attach great importance to this cooperation, because we consider artificial intelligence a promotion not only in the education system, but also in terms of providing our students with competitive knowledge. We are very happy to establish this cooperation and we are jointly launching the piloting phase of the program. We hope that in a very short time the program will expand, covering all schools of the Republic, and we will be able to jointly implement systemic changes,” noted the CEO of the “FAST” Foundation Armen Orujyan.
ESCS Deputy Minister Zhanna Andreasyan stated that the program is completely within the scope of the education strategy targets. According to her, the Government's program and the State program for the “Development of Education until 2030” have assigned a special role to the STEM, and advancing the quality of education in this direction is one of the priorities of the State.
“I am sure that as a result of this cooperation, we will be able to record a significant qualitative change, because we will introduce new content and curricula in schools, as well as a new way of working and teaching. And by performing this with the help of an artificial intelligence course, we will be able to carry out targeted work to further promote professional and human potential in one of the priority areas for the country,” emphasized the Deputy Minister.
According to Zhanna Andreasyan, the professional skills of teachers will significantly improve within the framework of the program. According to her, it will enable to pilot the credit system procedure in order to make high school education more efficient and correlate it with further professional education: “We are hopeful that as a result of the program we will have students who have gained the first credits, and who will apply the knowledge gained at school at the university.”
It should be noted that within the framework of the "Generation AI" program, from January 2023, students of several high schools in Yerevan and Tavush will have the opportunity to study advanced mathematics, programming, get acquainted with the basics of automation and advanced learning, as well as get the necessary skills and professional orientation to increase interest in the profession of an artificial intelligence (AI) researcher and continuing further education in this direction.
The program is implemented within the cooperation between the RA ESCS Ministry and the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST), creating a platform for combining the efforts and programs of educational institutions and the private sector.