MICROSOFT IT-ACADEMIES TO BE ESTABLSIHED AT ARMENIA’S UNIVERSITIES

ARKA
September 18 2007

Microsoft IT-Academies will soon be established in Armenian
Universities, Director of the Microsoft office in Armenia Grigor
Barseghyan told ARKA.

"The establishment of IT-Academies implies certification
Microsoft-conducted trainings as one of the components of the IT
curriculum, affording a further opportunity for taking qualifying
examinations for Microsoft certificate specialist, which open up
ample opportunities for students after graduation," Barseghyan said.

According to him, IT-Academies will afford an opportunity for MSDN
Subscription (a program of regular distribution of new software).

"The most up-to-date products and software platforms will be available
in Armenia for organize the highest-level education," Barseghyan said.

According to him, IT-Academies will be established at four universities
at the initial stage: Yerevan State University, Yerevan State Teachers’
Training Institute, Vanadzor University and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic)
University (RAU). Relevant agreements have been signed.

Barseghyan pointed out that a special program, Microsoft Dynamics
Academic Aliens (MDAA), not envisaged by the agreement, has been
included for RAU.

"The MDAA program envisages global solutions and software platforms
for big businesses, which will allow them to exercise complete control
over their production process, accountancy, storehouse management,
personnel potential analysis and financial flows," Barseghyan said.

He reported that, under an agreement with the RA Government, Microsoft
elaborated a version of "Information Science" for schools, which has
been submitted to the RA Ministry of Education and Science.

"Under the program, we are ready to retrain all Armenian teachers of
information science," Barseghyan said. He added that the project is
related with the Microsoft program of higher education.

In his earlier interview to ARKA, Director of the Business Development
and Policy Center, Microsoft Corporation, Paul Muckleston reported
that the annual number of Microsoft-certified graduates of Armenia’s
higher schools will have reached 1,000 by 2010.

The RA Government and the Microsoft Corporation signed a cooperation
agreement in Edinburgh, Scotland, on January 30, 2007. Under the
agreement, Microsoft is to implement a number of investment, education
and innovation projects in Armenia.