Latest news with #Armath
The Herald
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Lessons from Armenia to engineer a better future for youth
Armenia is a West Asian country that is a bit like Lesotho. Like Lesotho, it is landlocked and not super-endowed with natural minerals. It has a population of 2.7-million people, while Lesotho has about 2.2-million. Like Lesotho's working people, most Armenians leave their home country to seek jobs elsewhere. Armenia has done something spectacular: it teaches its children mathematics. Before the collapse of communism 35 years ago, it was one of the mathematics hubs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). It continued the traditions in the post-Soviet era and is known for 'exporting' mathematicians, engineers, scientists, programmers, coders and other tech boffins across the globe. Now, listen to this carefully: The BBC reported recently that, 11 years ago, Armenia launched a school programme, in partnership with the private sector, called 'Armath' (which means 'root' in English). It teaches children programming, robotics, coding, 3D modelling and other subjects. There are now 650 Armath laboratories in schools across Armenia, with more than 600 teachers and 17,000 students writing code and inventing apps and gadgets of all kinds. Armath started because the country wanted 'to see Armenia becoming a tech centre powerhouse that delivers utmost values to Armenia and to the world'. And in just 11 years it is headed there: Armenia, with just 2.7-million people, has 4,000 tech firms (SA has 650). 'One floated in New York in December 2024, and is now worth more than $10bn (R182.1bn),' the BBC article said. What does this tell us? A country needs a vision, a strategy and the political will to see that strategy through. Armenia had that will, hence the success of the programme. Last week, I came across a story that broke my heart. We come across so many of these heartbreaking stories in SA and the world these days that we tend to ignore them. They have become normalised. I came across one such story last Thursday, and it reminded me that we must not stop raging against such betrayal of SA's poorest and most vulnerable. The story is particularly cutting because it is an assault on our children, the people who will inherit this place. It showed how we are robbing them of a future. Depressingly, there is no outrage, no noise, no shock or horror at this story. The ministry of education announced last week that 464 public schools do not offer mathematics to their pupils. Yes, 464 schools do not offer maths to pupils. Of these schools, 135 are in KwaZulu-Natal, 84 in the Eastern Cape, 78 in Limpopo and 61 are in the Western Cape. The rest are in Gauteng and the North West (31 schools each), the Northern Cape with 19, the Free State with 14 and Mpumalanga with 11. It's not as if this is a new problem: the percentage of pupils opting for maths declined from 46% in 2011 to 34% in 2023. In 2024, only 255,762 pupils registered for the subject, down from 268,100 in 2023. The education ministry said 'schools may not have sufficient resources or demand to offer both mathematics and mathematical literacy'. Let us be perfectly clear and honest with each other here. This is not about lack of teachers. This is about leadership. Our political 'leaders' have for 31 years not cared about the education of our children and still do not care today. If they cared, then education, and maths education in particular, would have been top of their agenda. As these statistics show, they do not care. Over the past 30 years, our political leaders sent their children to 'formerly white' schools and abandoned township and rural schools. Local councillors, teachers, principals, packed their children into dangerous minibus taxis to schools in the formerly white suburbs. Township and rural schools were left to rot without teachers to lead pupils in maths or science. This lack of leadership, this lack of a plan to make every school in rural areas and in townships a centre of excellence, is where we failed. This is a spectacular failure of vision, strategy and leadership. Many of our politicians run around telling poor people to kick out foreigners who run shops in townships. What these politicians don't say is that we have stripped many of our own children of the ability to run their own spaza shops. They can't count, add, multiply or divide, let alone determine a profit margin on a packet of sweets. We tell our children to be entrepreneurs, yet we strip them of the ability to even start. That this is not a national emergency underlines just how awfully inadequate and ill-equipped for leadership our politicians are. We are faced with a disaster here. This is how countries collapse. This is why teeny-weeny countries like Armenia manage to wipe the floor with us in every way. We are led by people who have no clue what it takes to build a successful, prosperous and durable country.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Armenia is trying to build a Silicon Valley in the Caucasus
In Armenia tech education starts early. In a typical three-storey state school in the suburbs of Yerevan, the Armenian capital, nine-year old Slavik is demonstrating his invention - a box with three LED lights. "He has learned how to control it, and the programming language. You can see the code is written by him," says Maria, the 21-year-old tech coach leading the class. Next to them, 14-year-old Eric and Narek are showing their smart greenhouse model that monitors temperature and controls fans automatically through a mobile app. Other children are enthusiastically showcasing their inventions: games, robots, apps and smart home projects. Eleven-year-old Arakel is holding his cardboard model of a house with a retractable clothesline. "I have made my mother's work easy, one part of the device is set on the roof, and another is a motor," he says. "When it rains the line goes under the roof to keep the clothes dry." Armenia country profile These young inventors have been attending engineering lab classes where they learn programming, robotics, coding, 3D modelling and more. The programme started in 2014, and is called Armath, which translates into English as "root". Today there are 650 Armath labs in schools across Armenia. The initiative was established by a business organisation called the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE), which represents more than 200 high-tech Armenian companies. "The vision is that we want to see Armenia becoming a tech centre powerhouse that delivers utmost values to Armenia and to the world," says Sarkis Karapetyan, the chief executive of UATE. In his spacious, open-plan office in Yerevan he says that there are now around 4,000 tech companies in Armenia. Armath is part of the UATE's education and workforce development programme. Mr Karapetyan says the programme is the most successful public-private partnership in the country. "We raise capital expenditure from the private sector, we go to the schools and establish Armath labs, we donate the equipment," he says. "And the government, the education ministry gives us a budget of $2m (£1.5m) annually to pay the salaries of the coaches." There are now more than 600 coaches, and 17,000 active students. "The goal is to have 5,000 of the most talented kids decide to become engineers every year," says Mr Karapetyan. Armenia is a landlocked country of 2.7 million people, the smallest in the South Caucasus region, and its borders with neighbouring Azerbaijan and Turkey have been shut for decades due to unresolved territorial disputes. Unlike its neighbours, Armenia does not have natural resources or access to the sea. But throughout the Soviet era it had been a centre of mathematics and computer science. In 1956 the Yerevan Scientific Research Institute of Mathematical Machines was established in Armenia and by 1960 it had developed two first generation computers. Today, the country is tapping into its legacy with the ambition to transform itself into the tech powerhouse of the Caucasus. And there has been some success already. Picsart, a AI-powered photo and video editing website and app, was launched in Armenia in 2011. Today the company of the same name, which has dual headquarters in Yerevan and Miami, is valued at $1.5bn. Krisp, which makes audio-processing software, and Service Titan, which provides business software, are other Armenian success stories. Meanwhile, an annual report says that Armenia is the best country in the Caucuses region in which to launch a company, putting it in 57th place globally. This compares with Georgia in 70th position, and Azerbaijan in 80th. A critical factor in boosting Armenia's tech development is the nation's global diaspora – some 75% of the world's estimated Armenians, and people of Armenian descent, live elsewhere. This worldwide community provides important connections, especially in the US tech industry. In the US there are as many as 1.6 million people of Armenian ancestry, centred on California. Samvel Khachikyan, is director of programs at SmartGate, a venture capital firm based in both California and Armenia that focuses on tech investments. He says that if you look at the top 500 companies in the US, "for sure you'll find at least one or two Armenians" in the boardroom or one management level below. Mr Khachikyan explains how his company helps Armenian entrepreneurs set up operations in the US. "Imagine an Armenian start-up, two young people deciding to go to the US to try to operate there, they have no connections, no knowledge about the culture how it works. "It's gonna be hard, very hard. We are helping them, it's like the launch of the rocket, the first couple of seconds is the hardest." SmartGate takes Armenian founders to Silicon Valley and Los Angeles for intensive networking with top US companies and investors. But many Armenian start-ups first test their products in their home market. Irina Ghazaryan, is the founder of an app called Dr Yan that is changing how Armenians access healthcare by enabling them to more easily book appointments with doctors. Ms Ghazaryan was previously working in product and web design when, helped by the fact she comes from a family of doctors, she identified a gap in the market. "Patients couldn't find the right doctors, and doctors were suffering from endless calls." The app operates on a subscription model, with doctors paying to be listed on the platform, and there are plans to expand. "We are growing at least 25% revenue month by month," adds Ms Ghazaryan. "We are almost break-even in Armenia and that gives us strength to start expanding to other markets, like Uzbekistan." Armenia's tech ecosystem received an unexpected boost in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Thousands of Russian IT specialists left their country, and many chose to settle in Armenia. Meanwhile, US chipmaking giant Nvidia moved its Russian office to Armenia. Vasily is a Russian IT consultant who relocated to Armenia in 2023. "Armenia was the most friendly to people from Russia in order to help them move, adapt and so on," he says. He estimates that that the Russian IT community in Armenia now totals 5,000 to 8,000 people. This influx has said to have filled crucial skill gaps in Armenia's tech sector, in areas such as data processing, cybersecurity, and financial technologies. Yet Vasily says that Armenia can be expensive and the country needs to reduce the tax burden on IT firms if it wants them to stay in the country. However, overall optimism remains high about Armenia's tech future. Samvel Khachikyan expects the sector to boom. He points to Service Titan, which floated on the New York Stock Exchange last December, and is now worth more than $10bn. The record-breaking tunnel being built from Denmark to Germany Firms say Meta not helping them to recover hacked accounts Was China the reason Guyana faced higher Trump tariff? The plans to put data centres in orbit and on the Moon
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
How Armenia is trying to build a Silicon Valley in the Caucasus
In Armenia tech education starts a typical three-storey state school in the suburbs of Yerevan, the Armenian capital, nine-year old Slavik is demonstrating his invention - a box with three LED lights."He has learned how to control it, and the programming language. You can see the code is written by him," says Maria, the 21-year-old tech coach leading the to them, 14-year-old Eric and Narek are showing their smart greenhouse model that monitors temperature and controls fans automatically through a mobile children are enthusiastically showcasing their inventions: games, robots, apps and smart home Arakel is holding his cardboard model of a house with a retractable clothesline."I have made my mother's work easy, one part of the device is set on the roof, and another is a motor," he says. "When it rains the line goes under the roof to keep the clothes dry." These young inventors have been attending engineering lab classes where they learn programming, robotics, coding, 3D modelling and programme started in 2014, and is called Armath, which translates into English as "root". Today there are 650 Armath labs in schools across initiative was established by a business organisation called the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE), which represents more than 200 high-tech Armenian companies."The vision is that we want to see Armenia becoming a tech centre powerhouse that delivers utmost values to Armenia and to the world," says Sarkis Karapetyan, the chief executive of his spacious, open-plan office in Yerevan he says that there are now around 4,000 tech companies in Armenia. Armath is part of the UATE's education and workforce development programme. Mr Karapetyan says the programme is the most successful public-private partnership in the country."We raise capital expenditure from the private sector, we go to the schools and establish Armath labs, we donate the equipment," he says. "And the government, the education ministry gives us a budget of $2m (£1.5m) annually to pay the salaries of the coaches."There are now more than 600 coaches, and 17,000 active students."The goal is to have 5,000 of the most talented kids decide to become engineers every year," says Mr Karapetyan. Armenia is a landlocked country of 2.7 million people, the smallest in the South Caucasus region, and its borders with neighbouring Azerbaijan and Turkey have been shut for decades due to unresolved territorial its neighbours, Armenia does not have natural resources or access to the sea. But throughout the Soviet era it had been a centre of mathematics and computer 1956 the Yerevan Scientific Research Institute of Mathematical Machines was established in Armenia and by 1960 it had developed two first generation the country is tapping into its legacy with the ambition to transform itself into the tech powerhouse of the there has been some success already. Picsart, a AI-powered photo and video editing website and app, was launched in Armenia in 2011. Today the company of the same name, which has dual headquarters in Yerevan and Miami, is valued at $ which makes audio-processing software, and Service Titan, which provides business software, are other Armenian success an annual report says that Armenia is the best country in the Caucuses region in which to launch a company, putting it in 57th place globally. This compares with Georgia in 70th position, and Azerbaijan in 80th. A critical factor in boosting Armenia's tech development is the nation's global diaspora – some 75% of the world's estimated Armenians, and people of Armenian descent, live worldwide community provides important connections, especially in the US tech industry. In the US there are as many as 1.6 million people of Armenian ancestry, centred on Khachikyan, is director of programs at SmartGate, a venture capital firm based in both California and Armenia that focuses on tech says that if you look at the top 500 companies in the US, "for sure you'll find at least one or two Armenians" in the boardroom or one management level Khachikyan explains how his company helps Armenian entrepreneurs set up operations in the US."Imagine an Armenian start-up, two young people deciding to go to the US to try to operate there, they have no connections, no knowledge about the culture how it works."It's gonna be hard, very hard. We are helping them, it's like the launch of the rocket, the first couple of seconds is the hardest."SmartGate takes Armenian founders to Silicon Valley and Los Angeles for intensive networking with top US companies and investors. But many Armenian start-ups first test their products in their home Ghazaryan, is the founder of an app called Dr Yan that is changing how Armenians access healthcare by enabling them to more easily book appointments with Ghazaryan was previously working in product and web design when, helped by the fact she comes from a family of doctors, she identified a gap in the market. "Patients couldn't find the right doctors, and doctors were suffering from endless calls."The app operates on a subscription model, with doctors paying to be listed on the platform, and there are plans to expand."We are growing at least 25% revenue month by month," adds Ms Ghazaryan. "We are almost break-even in Armenia and that gives us strength to start expanding to other markets, like Uzbekistan." Armenia's tech ecosystem received an unexpected boost in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Thousands of Russian IT specialists left their country, and many chose to settle in US chipmaking giant Nvidia moved its Russian office to is a Russian IT consultant who relocated to Armenia in 2023. "Armenia was the most friendly to people from Russia in order to help them move, adapt and so on," he estimates that that the Russian IT community in Armenia now totals 5,000 to 8,000 people. This influx has said to have filled crucial skill gaps in Armenia's tech sector, in areas such as data processing, cybersecurity, and financial Vasily says that Armenia can be expensive and the country needs to reduce the tax burden on IT firms if it wants them to stay in the overall optimism remains high about Armenia's tech future. Samvel Khachikyan expects the sector to boom. He points to Service Titan, which floated on the New York Stock Exchange last December, and is now worth more than $10bn.
