Facing the Future: Challenges of Education

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On October 21, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EPIC) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) organized a public speech within the framework of a lecture series entitled “What’s Next?” The talk was dedicated to raising awareness of the current challenges in education. During his talk, Aram Pakhchanian, spoke about those challenges and also suggested possible solutions and directions.

Mr. Pakhchanian believes that quality education is the cornerstone for rebuilding society. In his remarks, he spoke about what the future holds for Armenia and suggested possible ways the country should reform the educational system to remain modern and fit to meet exciting societal changes that Armenia will undergo in the years to come. As new professions emerge every year, the labor market has become incredibly dynamic. Mr. Pakhchanian noted that most required skills in today’s market relate to communication, emotional intelligence, as well as the ability to spot and solve complex problems. However, most current educational systems are quite resistant to change. Instead, today’s institutions often value factual knowledge over higher-level skills, ignoring advances in content delivery and communication. Therefore, this practice usually does not take into account the preferences and habits of Generation Y.

Aram Pakhchanian is a co-founder of Ayb Educational Foundation and Director of Ayb School, a private educational complex in Yerevan, Armenia. Mr. Pakhchanian is also Vice President and Director of the Data Capture Products Department at ABBYY, an international software company that provides optical character recognition, document capture and language software for both PC and mobile devices. Mr. Pakhchanian is a graduate of the Faculty of Physics of Molecules at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. He holds an M.S. in Physics. Following his graduation, Mr. Pakhchanian repatriated to Armenia in 1991 with the intention of creating a new model for education.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.