On March 20, 2018 co-founders of Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend met with professors and students of American University of Armenia.

At the meeting Ruben Vardanyan presented for the first time the new motto of IDeA: “Think to connect, think to create, think to act”.

“The world in becoming interconnected; we are living in a very unique time period. “Think to connect” is the best way for smart and educated people to unite around similar values.

“Think to create” implies creating something new, interesting and unusual after connecting people with each other. “Think to act” is about not only thinking, but also acting. I’m convinced that this is the main answer to the question of who we are and what we are doing. We aim at bringing happiness, which isn’t calculated in money,” Ruben Vardanyan said.  

He touched upon the report of the World Bank, according to which Armenia holds the 129th place among the happiest nations. Ruben Vardanyan said that he didn’t like this indicator, as it only showed “our dreams and thoughts about the future, as well as how we feel and whether we believe that we can do more for the generations to come.”

Mediamax presents the most noteworthy thoughts voiced at the meeting.

The important sides of triangle

Education, sustainable development and migration are sides of a triangle, the understanding and developments of which is becoming more and more essential. This is an important element of the success or failure of any country. There are several forms of migration, which significantly impact the economic growth.

It’s worth pointing out brain drain as a widespread form of migration. Many people decide to leave their countries to get quality education. This phenomenon occurs not only in Armenia, as even the most developed countries have to face this issue. People depart for places, where they can succeed.

Ruben Vardanyan

Photo: Mediamax

I believe that education is the driving force of the future. It’s one of the major industries in modern world, which, unfortunately, still lacks management. Education is perspective investment equivalent to banking and technologies.

The education is changing, as professions which students choose now may not exists in 10 years from now. The development of technologies encourages us all to learn through the whole life.

Challenges of modern education

Many countries are now facing a crisis, as teachers don’t receive the respect they deserve from the society.

Finland sets a perfect example with its simple formula: 7 out of 10 best students wish to become teachers. On the contrary, only 2 out of 10 successful students have that wish in U.S. and only 1 out of 30 in Russia.

Reviving the image of a teacher is a great challenge for any society. Teachers and mentors are people, who not only educate and share information, but also instill values and inspire students. It isn’t an easy job, as we all have fears about the future and we don’t know what to expect tomorrow.

We would like to provide certain sustainability in case when rapid changes are happening in many directions at once.

Nationalism, isolation and populism are becoming the main trends. People honestly fear for their future.

Fake reality and irrelevance of money

Fake news is a part of our new reality. The differences between realities have become uncontrollable. No one can discern. Ten years later we might be living in a world where fake and true realities will have become impossible to distinguish.

Now we live in a world where money is losing relevance and talented individuals become the priority. Money is turning unimportant, because for instance, a talented footballer, whom the club pays enormous amounts of money, can be a game changer. The same applies for other fields as well, not just football.

The importance of speaking several languages

I want to ask, how many people in this room speak four or more languages? How many of you speak Farsi? Why do you think Farsi is unimportant? Why do you only focus on Armenian, English and Russian?

Armenia is expanding relations with the European Union. We hold a unique position between the EU, the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran. How can Armenia gain from that?

Ruben Vardanyan

Photo: Mediamax

We have advantages and the first of them is the worldwide network of Armenians.

There is a very good profession for you now – translator. You need to not only speak English, Russian or Armenian, but also understand the mentality of different people.

I recommend you to think and make connections, create and act. It sounds great, but it won’t be easy.

The necessity of excessive reading

I read three-four books a month. Many books influenced me. Read, and read incessantly. Read many books and they will help you establish yourself. Don’t waste your time, spend it on reading.

My advice is don’t be afraid and study a lot. It will be the best engine for changing everything in Armenia. I suggest you to step out of the box, rid of the fear and don't hesitate of saying “I don’t know.”

A big dream

It takes courage to have a big dream, because dreams imply readiness for failure. People might have zero faith in you. What we had 15 years ago was a vision of Armenia. We were often told that what we were going to do was impossible. We also made lots of mistakes in those 15 years, but only action can bring about change. I hope the things you study at the university are not limited to good, relevant knowledge. I hope that you also learn to be brave, to act and believe, to make connections and create. I wish you all to dream courageously and be unafraid of errors.

Ruben Vardanyan

Photo: Mediamax

We are in a “perfect storm” at the moment, as so many changes take place in politics, social life and human values.

I think that my family and I can have a role in building a better future. I want to show that despite being a small country in a troublesome region, Armenia can become a leading example for many nations. We can not only be good for ourselves, but also do something good for the world. My big dream is to contribute to making the world a better and safer place.

Marie Taryan

Photos by Emin Aristakesyan