Armenia: Dilijan tunnel shut down after massive fire, explosion of cargo truck

September 29, 2018 By administrator

Authorities have shut down the Dilijan tunnel due to safety concerns, the ministry of transportation, communication and IT told ARMENPRESS.

The tunnel will remain closed for renovation.

The fire and subsequent explosion of a cargo truck has caused extensive damage to the tunnel, the ministry said.

Fortunately no one was injured in the incident.

“Traffic police responded immediately and evacuated all vehicles from the tunnel and shut it down. Firefighters were able to reach the vehicle only from the Dilijan direction due to heavy smokes,” the ministry’s spokesperson Anahit Arakelyan said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze.

The fire even damaged the tunnel’s air conditioning system.

The cargo truck, operating under Belarusian license plates, was carrying TV sets and washing machines. Earlier it was erroneously reported that the truck had Georgian license plates.

Authorities advised drivers to travel via the Semyonovka road as an alternative until the tunnel is re-opened.

UWC Dilijan in Armenia included in Forbes’ top five schools

January 26, 2017 By administrator

The UWC Dilijan was listed among Forbes‘ compilation of top five schools created with the assistance of Russian billionaires.

Founded by Ruben Vardanyan and his wife Veronika Zonabend, the college is the 14th member of the UWC (United World Colleges) movement, one of seventeen colleges around the world. The college matriculated its first 96 IB1 students in September 2014.

Situated in a city of the same name in Armenia’s north, UWC Dilijan is a boarding school for talented children from around the world, Forbes says.

“After the entrance exams, the selection committee may send a student to study in another country that also hosts such a school from the same network.

“198 students from a total of 72 countries currently study at the school in Armenia,” Forbes said.

Also included in the list of schools established by billionnairs from Forbes’ “rating of the rich” are Letovo School (founded by Vadim Moshkovich), The First Moscow Private School (Elena Baturina), the educational center Sirius (Talent and Success foundation of Sergey Roldugin), as well as PERImeter educational and cultural center in Dagestan (Peri charity foundation of Russian billionaire Ziyaudin Magomedov), scheduled to open in September 2017.

Armenia: UWC Dilijan College hosts Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2016

August 26, 2016 By administrator

On 27–29 August UWC Dilijan College in Armenia will host the 5^th annual meeting of the Central and Eastern Europe Wikimedia affiliates, Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2016 (#WMCEE2016), organized by Wikimedia Armenia and the Wikimedia Foundation and supported by the Scholae Mundi Armenia Foundation.

The meeting will bring together leading professionals from the most important fields of the Wikimedia movement, as well as officials from the Wikimedia Foundation led by the Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director Katherine Maher who will take part in this conference for the first time.

Participants from 27 countries, including Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Iran, Israel, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine and the USA will gather at UWC Dilijan College in order to discuss topical issues in the Wiki movement.

During the three-day meeting, participants will present the activities undertaken in their Wikimedia affiliates, and the Wikimedia Foundation representatives will present free/open source software news, examining the social and technical aspects of the topics in relation to free knowledge and free content.

“Wikimedia CEE Meeting in Armenia became possible due to the hard work of the Armenian wiki-community. This conference is very significant both for Wikimedia Armenia and UWC Dilijan. I hope that after the conference the college students will also contribute to Wikipedia, editing in their native languages. I hope that our collaboration with the Scholae Mundi Armenia Foundation will continue with new initiatives”, said Susanna Mkrtchyan, the president and co-founder of Wikimedia Armenia.

The meeting is a unique opportunity for the Armenian Wiki community to learn more about the Wikimedia movement, to show what programmes are being implemented in Armenia and to exchange experience.

“It’s a great honour for us that UWC Dilijan College is hosting such a significant conference for Wikimedia, in which the technology of equal access to a quality education in Armenia will form part of the discussion. We hope that the cooperation of the Scholae Mundi Armenia and Wikimedia Armenia foundations will lay the groundwork for further disseminating the world’s best educational practices in the country”, said Veronika Zonabend, co-founder of Scholae Mundi Armenia

9-Year-Old Armenian Girl from Dilijan Creates Computer Games

January 13, 2016 By administrator

9 -Year-old Anushik Melkonyan. (Source: News.am)

DILIJAN (News.am) — To not only play computer games, but also write them yourself – this is what Anushik Melkonyan, 9, from Armenia’s Dilijan town wants and can do. From a very early age, Anushik watched with her mother, Narine Danielyan – a mathematician and programmer – work in front of a computer for hours. Then she began creating images with photos of her relatives, accompanied by music.

Anushik’s mother described how even though she was taught programming beginning from first grade, her teacher was able to skillfully captivate her interest and this helped her progress greatly.

Anushik creates computer games by the “Scratch” graphic programming language designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Learning about the “DigiCode – 2015” Youth Contest of Applied Programming, Anushik and her mom hurried to take part in it. Anushik won the mathematical game in the nomination “Best game” in the age group of 13 year olds.

The girl is looking forward to “DigiCode – 2016”. She has even created a new mathematical game for it – “Scales.” But Anushik didn’t stop here and is now working on the game “Four photos, one word.”

Oddly enough, after classes Anushik spends only one hour in front of the computer. The girl loves days off most of all, since then she can sit at the computer longer and create new games. On other days, she goes in for dancing and swimming. Anushik says she has no dreams but only wishes. And her wish is to achieve greater success in the area of programming so that one day she can see her games among the best ones on the page of “Scratch”. Besides, she wants to take part in contests and win, become a famous programmer and create works.

Mother of the 9-year-old programmer wants her daughter to graduate from the Dilijan Central School with honors and enter the United World College in Dilijan. According to her, wide perspectives will open for her daughter after graduating from that institution.

On New Year, Anushik asked Santa Clause to bring her a box of plasticine and Lego Robot. The girl urges her peers to believe in Santa Clause, get good presents from him and enjoy the New Year. To programmers and herself she wishes new ideas and their successful implementation.

Armenia: UWC Dilijan College declared the winner of European Property Awards 2015

September 25, 2015 By administrator

UWC Dilijan College won the European stage of the prestigious international competition in the field of real estate International Property Awards in the category of Public Services Developmen, PR Department of Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation said.
UWC Dilijan College was recognized as the best in the category of Public Services Development in Europe, and received the highest score of the expert jury – 5 stars. The project was put forward to the final global awards of the International Property Awards, the winners of which will be announced in December 2015.

The construction of the College was carried out by Camp Ventures CJSC (Armenia) – project originator, Tim Flynn Architects (London) – chief architect of the project, RD Group Holding (Russia) – general designer and general contractor for the project.

In 2015, UWC Dilijan College won several prestigious awards: the school was awarded the IGRA Green Roof Leadership Awards in the category of “Architecture that Defines the Trend” and won the Russian stage of the FIABCI Prix d’Excellence international competition in the category of “Public Sector”. Moreover, UWC Dilijan College is the only educational institution in the CIS that has been certified under the BREEAM standards of ecological construction.

International Property Awards was founded in 1995, and today it is one of the most prestigious competitions in the field of real estate in the world. The winners are determined for such categories as Architecture, Interior Design, Development and Agents & Consultants, each of which is divided into sub-categories. The jury consists of renowned experts, who assess carefully not only the architecture of the projects, but also their compliance with the current requirements in the field of “green” construction, energy efficiency and sustainable development.

UWC Dilijan College is the joint project of philanthropists Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend and their partners – individuals and organizations – which is carried out by IDeA (Initiatives for Development of Armenia) Foundation. UWC Dilijan College is a full member of United World Colleges (UWC) educational movement and has been accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) to deliver its IB Diploma Program.

Source: Panorama.am

Armenia President on hand at Dilijan Central School opening

September 24, 2015 By administrator

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Thursday attended official opening of Dilijan Central School, which is yet another major contribution to the community development in Dilijan city.

The school opening was conducted by Father Mesrop Aramyan, Cofounder of the Ayb Educational Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ayb Learning Hub Foundation, and Arthur Javadyan, Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA).

The President toured the new education facility, and got familiarized with the conditions, educational programs and the teaching methodology aimed at a comprehensive development of children.

Dilijan Central School was established in 2013 by the Ayb Educational Foundation in cooperation with the CBA. It is a general education school designed for up to 160 pupils of Grades between 1 and 9.

The entry of Dilijan Central School into Armenia’s education system has created an urban model of a school that is accessible not only to the children of CBA employees, but also those of families living in Dilijan.

According to the executives, the school, with its ideology and vision, curriculum, teaching methodology and approaches, and teacher and pupil admission policy, is completely synchronized with capital city Yerevan’s Ayb elementary and middle schools.

The Ayb educational foundation is also in charge of the school management, and the introduction of educational content corresponding to Ayb’s standards.

The construction of the school and its operation is entirely financed by the CBA.

The territory of Dilijan Central School also houses a fab lab, an industrial research lab, which has been established in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This lab will serve the schoolchildren as well as pupils, students, and creative people from Dilijan and nearby cities.

During the tour, President Serzh Sargsyan was informed that more than 80 percent of the 119 children studying at the school and 24 percent of the school employees are from Dilijan, 22 percent of the employees has moved from Yerevan to Dilijan with their families, 13 percent of the employees are from Armenia’s other provinces, and the rest of the school employees combine their jobs in Yerevan and in Dilijan.

The Huffington Post: Reviving Armenia’s “Switzerland” Resort Town of Dilijan

August 13, 2015 By administrator

Driving about 90 kilometers northeast of Armenia’s vibrant capital city of Yerevan, the highway narrows into mountainous roads as you enter the Tavush region famous for its resort town of Dilijan. The unusual hot and humid summer has vacationers flocking to “Armenia’s Switzerland” not only from Armenia, but also bordering Georgia, Russia and Iran, as well as from various parts of Europe, Jackie Abramian, PR & Social Media strategist, writes in The Huffington Post

“Although today’s Dilijan is desolate and worn-out, newly opened B&Bs, restaurants, boutique hotels and even large hotel chains like Best Western dot the landscape in preparation for what many hope will be the town’s upcoming internationalization boom, promising to inject a much-needed vivacity into Dilijan. Among those descending upon the resort town are entrepreneurs and philanthropists with grand economic redevelopment plans for resuscitating Dilijan into an educational, cultural, recreational and financial hub for the entire region,” she writes.

According to the author, traces of the emerging boom are already evident in the striking glass and white concrete building of the Central Bank of Armenia’s training and research center on top of a hill overlooking the town. But more importantly, she writes, massive cultural and economic redevelopment plans are underway headed by Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Charitable Foundation and Dilijan Development Foundation established by philanthropists Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend.

“With foresight, vision and deep conviction of such individuals, organizations and philanthropists perhaps today’s Dilijan will regain its reputation and surpass expectations. It is most certainly worth the wait!” the author stresses.

Armenia 90 Students from 50 Countries to Start Courses at Dilijan College

June 3, 2014 By administrator

DILIJAN, Armenia (Arka)—Some 90 students from 50 countries, including ten from Armenia, will start learning at UWC Dilijan College starting this fall, John Puddefoot, the Founding Head of the Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad, India, and former Deputy Head of Eton College, UK, who in early 2014 became head of Dilijan International School, said to reporters on Monday. He said ten students are from Russia and four are from Turkey.

The founder of Dilijan International School Ruben Vardanian noted that Dilijan College will enable people from other countries to get to know Armenia.

“It is great that children from Chile, Ethiopia, South Africa, Malaysia, Canada, China and other countries will arrive in Armenia to get their education here. This will provide them with an opportunity to discover Armenia, to understand how we live, the people we are; and in this sense the world will become more open to Armenia, while Armenians will also learn a lot of interesting things for themselves,” he said.

The Dilijan International School is a large-scale philanthropic initiative putting Armenia on the world educational map. The School will open in September 2014 for 90 students. By 2023 the school hopes that it will host 650 students from at least 60 countries. Ninety percent of academically successful students will receive full scholarships granted by the DIS benefactors.

In the full diploma program, each student studies three Higher Level and three Standard Level subjects. IB candidates are also required to write an Extended Essay, complete a course in theory of knowledge, and actively engage in creativity, action and service components. In October, 2013, Dilijan International School became a UWC school (United World Colleges) under the name of UWC Dilijan.

The cost of education is $30,000 a year. The cost of this project is $150 million.