Mathematics is the driving force of love, justice, and progress. Mediamax and Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) are joining efforts to present MathArt project. It tells about the talents developing mathematics in Armenia, and their work.
Mathematics is of key value in modern world and we hope that MathArt will help attract Armenian youngsters into that particular science.
Levon Khachatryan is the first data science student at Yerevan State University (YSU). He could not simply pass by the Applied Statistics and Data Science Master’s Program, which opened at YSU Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics and combined the two favorite fields of Levon.
“I always believed that you need to do what you love. I was into mathematics since I was a kid, I always loved it. Programming seemed appealing too, so these two interests of mine brought me to the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Informatics. For my master’s degree I decided to approach pure mathematics and study applied statistics and data science,” explained Levon.
The first steps in math
“When I decided to become a programmer, the profession wasn’t as popular and advanced as it is now, but it was considered to have good prospects. Anyway, my interests guided my choice of occupation, and they stem from my love of solving logical problems.
Levon KhachatryanPhoto: Mediamax
The contact with higher mathematics was very natural and successful, because I didn’t fear difficulties. If something is easy, anyone can do it, but if you want to get meaningful results, you should not be afraid of a difficult job. Love plays a significant role in this. If you don’t love what you do, you can’t be good at your job, whatever it is, but if you love it, even difficulties are interesting. You see it as self-development.”
Closer to fundamental science
“Data science is the science of the 21st century. We have huge amounts of data now and working with it requires huge efforts. Artificial intelligence can be another inspiration for choosing this field, because we deal with AI on a daily basis and we can’t help but ask: “How does all this work?” I think that in my case it was that question that motivated me to study data science.
Furthermore, I drifted away a bit from fundamental mathematics while I was getting my bachelor’s degree, so I wanted to correct that for my master’s.
The Applied Statistics and Data Science is the perfect program for people with fondness of mathematics and for programmers, because it is at the junction of both.
In terms of the quality of education, it met all our expectations. We, the students, actually took into consideration the fact that this is the first year of the program and some courses might be poorly organized. However, I can’t remember learning something and thinking it was irrelevant or dull. It is the first year this program works, but it is very well and meticulously designed and completely in line with the field.
Besides, the quality of the academic staff is very important. We learn every day from top experts, who are flexible and ready to make changes to the program at any time, if necessary. All our teachers have practical experience and they share it with us in the learning process. As a result, they cover both the theoretical and the practical aspects. The students are equally trained in fundamental and applied science, which enables them to progress in both areas equally.”
Scholarship as a reward for consistent, hard work
“Although the fee for the Applied Statistics and Data Science Master’s Program is high, the opportunities to get a scholarship are plenty. You study, pass the exams, and then you can view all records of your work online and see your achievements.
Levon KhachatryanPhoto: Mediamax
I got a scholarship immediately after the first semester. It fully depends on your work throughout the semester. This mechanism also motivates you to be active every day instead of leaving the most work to the eve of the exams.”
Combining work and education
“Our classes begin at 6 p.m., which allows me to study after the working hours. It can seem tiring, but any difficulty can be overcome if you really want something. We have a drive every day, and it’s evident to us already that the results will be good.
I manage to combine work and education thanks to my love for mathematics. I am employed at Synergy International Systems software and consulting company as a database developer. I actually became interested in data science at work.
Mathematical thinking is great help in daily work for solving problems as well as dividing large issues into smaller ones and thus solving them easier.
This type of thinking also helps organize my days better and proves to be useful in other areas of life.”
The appeal of data science
“Data science uses more math than programming, and mathematics isn’t as popular as programming, so this field might not spread so quickly. At the same time, more people are involved in it now. People would be skeptical if a few years ago you said you were studying machine learning, but now many of my friends are in that field and many people have transferred from programming to data science.
Levon KhachatryanPhoto: Mediamax
Armenia’s competitiveness in data science is directly linked with how many educational programs we have in our higher education institutions and how much support they receive. Investment in education can increase Armenia’s chances.
For instance, ISTC and FAST hold weekly and regular courses respectively, there are several research laboratories, and all that can facilitate the development of the field.
Of course, data science can bring substantial income and you don’t need to exert yourself to promote it, but we should draw attention to other fields as well and increase their appeal.
Levon KhachatryanPhoto: Mediamax
People just need very powerful computers to do data science and machine learning, so we only need to raise the awareness that this is a very promising field. I am certain that some time later we’ll have substantial progress and collaborations in data science and machine learning too, as we did in programming. Currently, we should create opportunities and promote the field. It already has a good ecosystem in Armenia.
Networking is very important as well. I believe that connections should be maintained and developed.”
FAST Foundation is the general partner of the project 
Mari Taryan
Photos: Emin Aristakesyan
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