The opening ceremony of “Step to Home” educational program (from August 10 to 24) took place at Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University. 440 Diasporan-Armenians aged from 13 to 21 take part in the program this year. The educational component of the program includes intensive courses for the Armenian language (Western and Eastern Armenian).
Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University has provided the program with classrooms as many as needed and free of charge to carry out the lessons and the conditions necessary for the program.
“Approximately 21 years ago we founded this university, filling it with the best professors and lecturers within and beyond the Republic of Armenia, also with modern technologies, and today we are considered one of the leading higher educational institutions of the Republic of Armenia. Armenian-Russian University, in essence, is an exceptional example of Armenian identity preservation, inasmuch as about 35-36% of our university students are Diasporan-Armenians. Therefore, this is your university, welcome to our university,” highlighted the Director of the Institute of Economics and Business of Armenian-Russian (Slavonic) University, Eduard Sandoyan.
The cognitive part of the program envisages the students’ visit to the historical and cultural sights of Armenia, as well as a set of leading educational, creative and technological centers. They will also meet with state officials and cultural figures. A four-day camping program will be organized for the participants as well.
The Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, on his part, added the following: “I do not know when, in 2-3 years, I will meet with a part of you in Armenia or elsewhere. But I also know that we will do everything for many of you to move to Armenia. I want to tell the ones who will return to their countries only one thing, whenever you will miss and be offended by the world, you will be upset, I simply want you to remember one thing very well – you are not guests in here, you are the hosts, and that there is a little state but with a great potential, having 42 thousand km territory, which will wait for you.”
At the end of the ceremony, Hayk Stver, Hayk Yesayan, and Vladimir Aharonyan sang for the participants of “Step to Home” program, welcoming them.
Press release of Armenian-Russian (Slavonic) University