GLENDALE – A delegation consisting of prominent California elected officials and business representatives along with representatives from the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region participated in a week long in depth visit to Armenia. The groundbreaking trip, which took place from September 4 to 13, was hosted and facilitated by the Armenian National Committee – Western Region to provide policymakers and business representatives of various IT companies with a first-hand understanding of the rich Armenian history and culture while giving them an opportunity to meet with influential political, social and tech leaders in order to strengthen ties and discuss mutual collaboration in both the public and private sectors.
The delegation began the trip with back to back tours of some of Armenia’s most innovative tech centers and educational institutions including Ayb School, the American University of Armenia (affiliated with the University of California), Impact Hub, Synopsis, Armath, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, PicsArt, Ucom, and Gyumri’s Technology Center. With these tours, the delegation garnered a deep understanding for Armenia’s intellectual capacity and its booming tech industry. Some of these sites including the AUA, Impact Hub, and PicsArt also highlighted the existing ties between California to Armenia whether it was through legislation that connected the two or PicsArt having an office in San Francisco. Following a brief overview of the history of the campus and its ties to California, AUA President Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian also bestowed upon California State Senator Anthony Portantino an award to express appreciation for most recently securing six full scholarships in the State budget for AUA graduates to the UC Hastings College of Law.
Each of these sites proved to be more and more impressive as members of the delegation became engaged in fruitful discussion with representatives they met from various IT companies. During the visit with members of Impact Hub Yerevan, an incubator that serves as a community center for a network of changemakers, the delegation met with a variety of entrepreneurs from different backgrounds who provided their input concerning the Velvet Revolution and their long-term work in effectuating social change in Armenia. The legislators and business representatives also had the opportunity to be featured on a panel at an Armenian-American Business Forum held at the Marriott Hotel organized by the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises.
“Thank you, ANC-Western Region, for the opportunity to travel to Armenia, to meet with the Prime Minister and gain a better understanding of your nation’s history and culture. It was remarkable to see first-hand, a country with an IT workforce of almost 50% women and whose political leadership is 50% women. Armenia’s deep commitment to the development of its youth also serves as a reminder of the importance of building a brighter future for all. I will be forever grateful for the wisdom, experience and warm hospitality I received when visiting your beautiful country. Thank you,â€
