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Official press release by the Office of the President of Armenia

President Serzh Sargsyan attended today a gala dinner held at Armenia Marriott Hotel by the Armenian Science and Technology Foundation (FAST) within the framework of an international workshop referred to as “Machine Learning for Discovery Sciences.”

During the dinner, the main vectors of the activities and programs carried out by the Armenian Science and Technology Foundation were presented, including the FAST Fellowship scholarship program, the NextGen Council, the non-formal investor network (Angels Network) and the official website. Memorandums of understanding were signed between the Foundation and a number of educational institutions.

The event was also attended by 15 members of the Next Generation Council, which is being formed within the Armenian Science and Technology Foundation. The Council brings together talented young researchers and technology professionals from all over the world with knowledge and expertise to promote technological development, scientific and business activities in Armenia and outside it. During the event, the President of Armenia delivered a speech.

RA President’s remarks delivered at the gala dinner dedicated to the joint workshop hosted by the Armenian Science and Technology Foundation and the US National Science Foundation

Dear Colleagues,

I welcome you to the first practical initiative of the Foundation of Science and Technology of Armenia - the workshop co-hosted with the US National Science Foundation.

I believe that the way to establishing cooperation should be gone together to reach our goal of shaping an economy based on knowledge and high technology advantages. In this regard, I also welcome your discussion of new partnership programs.

The Armenian Science and Technology Foundation is better known for its English name – FAST, therefore we should be faster in finding our niche in this rapidly changing world.

The Foundation has rallied young people from the Motherland and the Diaspora around the idea of developing Armenia. They have succeeded in science, technology, and the associated business undertakings.

The ever growing number of its new members and their joint drive for a stronger Armenia instill confidence that we can meet the target and achieve our vision of progressive technological development.

Those individuals involved in the FAST have been supporting Armenia’s development over many years. This initiative should become another effective and successful example of cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank the founders and supporters of FAST on behalf of all public agencies of Armenia and reaffirm our full support for their initiative.

The launch of this foundation is emblematic. All of you know that Luys Foundation was set up in 2008 to assist those young people from Armenia and the Diaspora who went to study in the world’s best universities.

Luys Foundation is today going beyond its traditional terms of reference and acts as the co-founder, though with a modest share, but the co-founder of a new development program. From now on, we will continue to be consistent in our policy of achieving better results by combining different initiatives.

Dear Colleagues,

Armenia is undergoing crucial transformations. Step-by-step and consistently we are defying the challenges and restrictions coming from an unfavorable external environment. We are reforming our inner life with the same consistency by organizing it on the basis of mutual respect, dialogue, tolerance, solidarity and justice. For successful organization of all these processes, we need initiatives that may help us create a positive environment throughout the country and open up new perspectives.

I am confident that by combining the resources available in Armenia, in the Diaspora and in the international scientific community on the way to innovative development, we can achieve tangible and measurable results.

We can often hear people say that many scientific and technological solutions have not been implemented due to budgetary and financial constraints. Now, FAST offers grant-funded venture financing instruments as another important step towards the full disclosure of our scientific potential.

The Armenian State, in turn, is committed to developing the copyright law and the legal framework for its protection. We will consistently continue to improve the business environment, including the capital market access in order to facilitate the funding of scientific and technological developments.

I am confident that this is the right way to getting the best out of creative flights. I have no doubt that education and knowledge will be a must on the way to prosperity and influence in the 21st century.

This is also the right way to discovering and tapping the potential of Diaspora-based Armenian professionals. Technological development and the resulting processes will be followed by a greater involvement of different experts in the noble cause of promoting Homeland’s progress.

To summarize, I must emphasize that FAST shows us the way in which the Armenian authorities, the opposition, civil society, Diaspora structures and all those concerned should go to realize the vision of a new and intellectual Armenia.

I wish the Armenian Science and Technology Foundation good luck and every success. The success of FAST will be the success of all of us.

Thank you.