Preface
 

Over two years of working at Repat Armenia, I have had the privilege of meeting many repatriates, and through them – encountering very different attitudes toward Armenia and plans for it. Some repatriated because only here they feel truly at home, some – because in Armenia one can step out of the constant race and feel the pulse of life, others – because the mountains call. And so on. For Arshak Ulubabyan, who lives with the idea of making the world a better place, Armenia turned out to be the most fitting place to implement these ideas.

Life in Armenia and New Perspectives
 

Arshak was born in Armenia and received his education in applied mathematics and computer science in his homeland. Afterwards, he worked as a software engineer in various international companies, launched his own startup, and received a job offer from Sweden: “I never had thoughts of leaving to work or live in another country. I always enjoyed living in Armenia and saw my future only here. When I received the offer, I thought I could gain experience living and working in another country, in another culture, and return after a couple of years. But a couple of years turned into almost ten.”

Being in the Right Place


 

During those ten years, Arshak frequently visited Armenia, providing consultations in the field of AI. His visits became more frequent during the year of the global pandemic and the 44-day war: one of his trips coincided with its beginning. At that time, the protagonist stayed in Armenia for several months because, against the backdrop of the informational war against Armenia, he could not imagine being useful eslewhere.
 

“When colleagues from abroad called me and asked if I could return, I replied that I didn’t feel I should be anywhere else during this war. I was in the right place. I stayed here for several months, then started coming more often, and at some point realized – the time for final return had come,” Arshak says.

Working in the Right Place and in the Right Direction
 

For many years, Arshak worked in programming and engineering: this work gave him both freedom and financial stability, but he saw it as something temporary. A dialogue with himself and reflections on his purpose led Arshak to the conviction that his life’s work should not be connected with engineering, but with people: “I am a person who lives with ideas and thoughts of making the world a little better. In my understanding, all of this had to begin in Armenia and from Armenia.”
 

Arshak is concerned with the realization of human potential from the earliest stages of life – how to nurture a child to discover their potential, what kind of school should exist so as not to break or limit their thinking, what kind of environment a child should have in general?!
 

“Living in Sweden, I saw how Armenia lagged behind in many important skills, and returning here, I knew I wanted to work specifically on this issue – for example, preparing children for the needs and challenges of the 21st century: teamwork, public speaking, conflict resolution, negotiation, emotional intelligence, body hygiene, nutrition, parenting, keeping up with the rapidly changing world of AI. One must think flexibly and adapt, be not just performers but creators, be able to formulate problems and have the ability to solve them,” says Arshak Ulubabyan.

reArmenia Academy
 

Knowing that upon returning to Armenia he would work in education, introducing essential 21st-century skills, including AI courses, he explored the field, attended AI-related conferences, and concluded that this world should also be shown to ordinary people. In the process, Arshak met Gevorg Poghosyan, the founder of reArmenia. At the time, they had just launched the AI Qez Ban courses, and since Arshak and Gevorg shared similar visions, they decided to join forces and work together. Today, Arshak is involved in the educational programs of reArmenia Academy.
 

“Currently, we offer AI courses for various professions, as well as consultations for organizations aimed at improving their processes through AI. We are also developing Mentor software powered by AI, which will help people choose a new profession and support their personal and professional growth.

In a broader sense, the Academy’s goal is to transform education – to create an education system that meets the needs of the 21st century, both in content and methods,” Arshak explains.

reArmenia Academy collaborates with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports to integrate AI into education, as well as to improve school management productivity through AI.

Universal Challenges. The School of Superhumans.
 

The Academy also has ambitious plans for the future: it will soon announce a competitive selection for youth participation in “Zorats Dproc” (School of Superhumans), aimed at preparing young people to tackle global challenges through 21st-century skills: “Armenia and the world lack people who are willing to take responsibility for problems and their solutions. The goal of Zorats Dproc is to prepare exactly such individuals. It is a six-month residency for Armenian youth aged 16–25: we will select those with great potential, and for six months they will study 21st-century skills with us. They should not only learn but also understand which global problems concern them and what they ultimately want to solve. At the same time, they will develop their intellectual, physical, and personal qualities.”
 

The creation of Zorats Dproc is aimed at addressing universal challenges and is based on the idea of making our world better, which aligns with the mission Arshak has chosen for himself. Having lived successful years abroad, he now sees Armenia as the place to realize his mission – today and in the future. His emotional connection is with the Armenian people, and his desire is to contribute – to Armenia!
 

Interview by Nare Bejanyan

Translation via AI based on the original article in Russian:  Сделать мир лучше и начать это с Армении. Аршак Улубабян