What potential is there in the field of information technologies today, and how to make this potential to bring real and major changes in Armenia’s economy? These questions have become a subject for discussions for a few weeks between the Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and IT specialists. The meetings discuss both the strategic approaches and specific programs for the development of information technologies. In recent years, the industry of information technologies, as it is known, ensures a stable growth but the experts of the industry are convinced that these growth rates can be multiple. In an interview with Aravot.am, Deputy Director of the Union of Information Technology Enterprises, Hayk Chobanyan, said that the main secret is in the education sector.
“The question of questions remains the human resources or the labor force. If said otherwise, then the question of education. This was the reason why the latest meeting was completely devoted to what changes should be made in education technology systems to ensure the requirements that the industry faces today,” said our interlocutor. In this respect, the experts of the industry presented several directions to the prime minister as current projects. One of them refers to curriculums in the secondary educational system. Hayk Chobanyan stated that the implementation of the program is underway today, “It is the “Root” educational laboratory program implemented by the Union of Information Technology Enterprise which is already introduced in 166 schools. They aim to introduce it in all schools in the next three years providing the multiplication of specialists by four in the next five years.”
Next comes the new short-term bachelor’s program which will enable the children to start their vocational education not at the age 18 at the universities but at the age of 15 in “short-term bachelor” called an educational institution. This system is a part of the Bologna process and is considered its fifth level. It was also talked about the promotion of the growth of university students in IT and IT-related majors, as well as the increase of the quality. “Respective decisions were made associated with all these tactical issues. These programs will be included in the priority programs of the government, and the government together with us will negotiate with respective donors to be able to attract funds in these directions.
Now, we are discussing the issue of providing adequate space for the short-term bachelor’s program with the Ministry of Education. We were instructed to elaborate a strategic document on the changes in the industry until December 15 and submitted it to the government,” explained our interlocutor adding that until December 15, the stakeholders will be engaged in the elaboration of the strategic document.
Our interlocutor does not agree with the observation that there were similar meetings with the preceding prime minister, priorities were made and they remained on the paper. “It’s another question that certain processes were slow. In particular, we signed an agreement with the Government on the same engineering laboratories and the Government not only provides respective spaces in the schools but also takes care of the stable salary of the manager of the laboratories,” said Hayk Chobanyan, adding that governments are changing but their projects are continued, hence they have set a task to ensure the succession and continuity of these programs that have started during the preceding governments as well as to mark new programs, “We are going to be consistent and determined for all of these discussions to be not only procedural but also provides results.” The experts of the industry have seen a desire quickly to go ahead with Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, “Otherwise, the meetings would not become weekly.”
Nelly GRIGORYAN
