Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian astrophysicist Garik Israyelyan was granted the highest award of Canary Islands, Gold Medal.

The Gold Medal is awarded to individuals and organizations which made a significant contribution to the life on the Canaries.

The award was given to Garik Israyelyan by President of the Canary Islands Paulino Rivero.

Garik Israyelyan works at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.

In 2010, Swiss astrophysicist and professor of Astronomy Department of Geneva University Michel Mayor and his scientific team including Garik Israyelyan and Nunu Santos became the first laureates of Victor Hambardzumyan International Award established in Armenia.

Garik Israyelyan is also the initiator of STARMUS scientific festival.

The second STARMUS Festival due to be held on the Canary Islands on September 22-27 will host world-famous British theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking. He is supposed to open the Festival titled “Beginnings: The Making of the Modern Cosmos”.

The second STARMUS Festival will also host internationally acclaimed astrophysicists, physicists and laureates of Nobel Prize.

The first STARMUS international festival was held in Tenerife in 2011. It was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the human’s first flight to the universe by Yuri Gagarin, and it became a bright musical and scientific event.

You can find more detailed information on the Festival here: http://www.starmus.com.