YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Microsoft is set to invest roughly $600,000 in Armenia in the next five years as part of an international program aimed at training teachers and students to use computers, recently extended to Armenia, the Education Ministry reported.
The Vice President of Microsoft’s Central and Eastern European operations, Vahe Torossian, told reporters in Yerevan Friday that Microsoft’s goal with the program is to “make new technologies available for Armenian teachers and students.”
He was in Yerevan meeting with government officials and finalizing a new cooperation agreement with Armenia’s Education Ministry.
Torossian said the program will provide some 3,000 teachers and 90,000 students with direct access to the latest computer technologies.
According to Armenia’s Economy Minister, Nerses Yeritsian, most secondary schools in Armenia will receive computers in the next 2-3 years through Microsoft’s new education partnership program with Armenia.
Torrosian also met with Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan for talks on Microsoft’s role in Armenia’s IT industry.
According to the Government’s press office, Torossian and Sargsyan agreed that building Armenia’s emerging Information Technology sector was a major priority for Microsoft and the Government.
Armenia’signed an agreement with Microsoft in January last year to help develop its IT industry through a series of programs that would be spearheaded by Microsoft’s Eurasian branch.
The “Microsoft Innovation Center” established in Armenia as a result of that agreement was considered by Sargsyan during the meeting as one of Microsoft’s flagship programs, spearheading the development of Armenia’s technology based economy.