ArmeniaNow: #AGBUTalks: First panel in Armenia focuses on human capital and Diaspora
2 min readSource: http://armenianow.com/news/61993/armenia_agbu_general_assembly_talks_panel_discussion
Increasing opportunities inside Armenia, combining the potential of all Armenians of the world, promoting the birthrate, presenting Armenia success stories to Armenians worldwide, etc. were the topics discussed during a unique panel held in Armenia as part of the Armenian General Benevolent Union’s (AGBU) 88th General Assembly.
The first of the three #AGBUTalks panels took place at Ayb School in Yerevan on April 1.
The panelists at the first event entitled “Human Capital in Armenia and the Diaspora” were frank during the discussion as was Armenia’s Minister of Education Science Armen Ashotyan who joined them. This made it possible to raise issues of efficient use of the potential of Armenian children and young people and discuss solutions.
“People are the potential of Armenia, but using only the potential of Armenia we can’t develop our country, the human capital of the Diaspora should also be used and bridges need to be created,” American University of Armenia (AUA) President Armen Der Kiureghian said during the discussion.
Der Kiureghian and three other speakers that day who were not born in Armenia, but at one point in their lives decided to bring their experience to their historical homeland consider this to be the best solution.
Meanwhile, many Armenians born in Armenia see their future outside the country, said AGBU Vice President Sam Simonian, the founder of the Simonian Educational Foundation and the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies.
It was upon his initiative that a study was conducted among 6,000 schoolchildren that showed that only 29 percent of them see their future in Armenia, while 24 percent see their future in the United States, 23 percent in Europe, 11 percent in Russia, and 11 percent in other countries.
“They would all leave for a better career as they think that there are no good conditions for their careers here. The new generation is ready to stay if they have these opportunities here,” said Simonian.
Simonian believes that Diaspora youths and children need to be brought to Armenia to strengthening ties between the Homeland and the Diaspora.
“This cooperation should be established from early on. They should study together and when they grow up they should be able to establish structures together and cooperate with each other. If we start from early on, the future will be secured,” he said.
Der Kiureghian, for his part, described the AUA as one of the successful examples of creating and promoting these ties.
“We can bring people to Armenia for a career. We are a kind of hub that gathers around itself specialists, experts who cooperate and continue to stay in Armenia. In other words, such collaboration creates intellectual bridges,” the AUA president said.
Only by creating centers of excellence, developing the technological sector, offering quality education and good jobs will it become possible to keep young people in Armenia and attract others to come to the country, the panelists agreed.