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Long-Time Artsakh Supporters to Sponsor New
$20,000 Computer Science Project in Stepanakert
PRESS RELEASE
January 31, 2002
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Office of the Nagorno
Karabagh Republic (NKR) in the United States today announced that Californians
Ralph and Savey Tufenkian, through the Armenian Educational Foundation,
will sponsor a $20,000 state-of-the-art Computer Science Class Project
in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabagh.
The Computer Science Class Project includes 694 students
in grades one though ten divided into 33 groups. The academic curriculum
will provide classes on logic, hardware structure, operational programming,
MS-DOS, MS Windows, MS Office applications and the Internet. The sponsors
have contributed funds to acquire necessary equipment, while the school
is responsible for providing logistics and teaching staff.
"We are delighted by the news of this project…it
is most encouraging. We need to do everything possible to provide Artsakh's
young generation with a modern education so that Artsakh can keep pace
with world progress and rely on its own intellectual potential. Ralph
and Savey Tufenkian are visionaries, who know that the future is built
today. We will do our best to make the project a success," said
School Principal Karen Andrian.
"We deeply appreciate and enthusiastically welcome
the Tufenkian family's outstanding new initiative," said Vardan
Barseghian, NKR Representative in the United States. "The NKR Office
was instrumental in helping shape and advance the project so we are
particularly pleased that it will be launched in the near future."
While visiting Artsakh last autumn to take part in
the ceremonial opening of the North-South "Backbone" Highway,
the Tufenkians also visited the Stepanakert Richard Tufenkian School.
The couple provided funds for the complete reconstruction and refurbishing
of the school in 1999 and 2000. The Ministry of Urban Construction implemented
the project and periodically reported to the sponsors as the work progressed.
Mr. and Mrs. Tufenkian returned to Artsakh in August 2000 to inaugurate
the new school.
Acknowledging the couple's continued patriotic support,
last September NKR President Arkady Ghoukasian awarded the Vachagan
Barepasht (Vachagan the Righteous) medal to Savey Tufenkian. One of
NKR's highest honors, the medal is conferred for achievements in culture,
literature, humanities, art, health protection and charitable activity
that benefit the country.
"We encourage all our American friends to join
Artsakh in its quest for stable peace, security and economic prosperity.
Funding of humanitarian and development projects is critical to Artsakh's
success," underscored NKR Representative Barseghian.
The Office of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic in the
United States is based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government,
academia and the public representing official policies and interests
of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic.
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