SECOND ARMENIAN MICROELECTRONICS OLYMPIAD HELD DURING SYNOPSYS WEEK IN ARMENIA

ArmRadio – Public Radio, Armenia
Sept 26 2007

Synopsys, Inc., a world leader in semiconductor design software,
today announced that the Second Armenian Microelectronics Olympiad took
place on Sep 14-26, 2007 in Yerevan. The Olympiad reflects the growing
development of microelectronics design in Armenia. The competition
spotlights Armenia’s brightest and most talented young engineers under
the age of 30. Its goal is to stimulate interest in microelectronics
design, add the element of competition to the educational process,
and determine these young engineers’ depth of knowledge in order to
adjust future educational programs if necessary.

The Olympiad topics included: Digital IC Design and Testing, Analog
and Mixed-Signal IC Design and Testing, Semiconductor Devices and
Technology, and Mathematical and Algorithmic Issues of electronic
design automation (EDA).

The Olympiad was conducted in two stages. The first was a test,
involving a number of basic tasks. The top contestants were admitted
to the second stage, involving a challenging contest and complex
tasks requiring advanced solutions. There were 118 participants in
the first stage, 48 of which passed to the second stage. Synopsys
held an evening reception to announce the winners.

Prizes were given for the following categories: 1st Place – Notebook
(1 prize)

2nd Place – 300,000 AMD (2 prizes)

3rd Place – 150,000 AMD (3 prizes)

Most elegant solution

Most efficient solution

Most creative approach

Best engineering solution

Best out-of-the box solution

Youngest participant

Best result among student participants

Best result among employed participants

Olympiad Sponsors were: Synopsys Armenia CJSC, USAID CAPS project,
Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF), ACBA bank, UNICOMP CJSC,
Virage Logic Corporation, Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of
Armenia, Viasphere Technopark CJSC, Apaven LLC, Union of Information
Technology Enterprises (UITE), nsourcer TM ArtSight LLC, Armenia TV,
Economics magazine, "Delovoy Express" weekly newspaper, "168 Hours"
daily newspaper.

"The Olympiad presents an excellent occasion for youth entering
the field to express themselves and to learn about state-of-the-art
requirements and news in microelectronics. I am glad to see that most
of the participants will use this opportunity to carve a road for their
future professional development so the field of microelectronics in
Armenia will benefit from new as well as experienced resources," said
Levon Lazarian, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic
of Armenia.

"The first Olympiad surpassed all of our expectations and inspired
us to make it an annual event," said Rich Goldman vice president,
Strategic Market Development at Synopsys, chief operating office for
Synopsys Armenia CSJC, and chairman of the Organizing Committee of
the Armenian Microelectronics Olympiad. "The energy and enthusiasm in
this year’s competition was indeed impressive. These young, talented
engineers will help lead the Armenian microelectronics industry to
a vibrant future."

"It’s exciting to see these young engineers in intense, but friendly,
competition," said Vazgen Melikyan, director of Synopsys Armenia
Educational Department, head of the interdepartmental chair of SEUA,
Microelectronic Circuits and Systems, and president of the Program
Committee of the Armenian Microelectronics Olympiad. "We’re sure that
they will bring that same drive and passion to their professions as
they embark on careers in Armenia’s microelectronics industry."

"It’s inspiring to look at the continuation of a great competition
among so many talented engineers," said last year’s 1st prize winner
Grigor Harutyunyan. "I can attest to the excitement they feel during
the competition and have experienced first hand the feeling of pride
and accomplishment when the competition is finished."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress