FAST’s first Gala in Paris united 200 guests to support AI education in Armenia

On November 16, the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) hosted its first Advance Armenia Gala at the iconic Automobile Club de France in the heart of Paris, gathering an esteemed audience from the Armenian Diaspora, wider European community and the tech industry around the goal of advancing AI education in Armenia.

The spotlight was on FAST’s Generation AI High School Project, an initiative that integrates advanced AI education into Armenia’s public school curriculum in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia. The program currently involves 15 high schools, impacting 540 students and 61 educators across seven regions. Generation AI offers a free, three-year curriculum in Advanced Math, Python programming, and AI fundamentals, aiming to nurture the next generation of innovators and position Armenia as a leader in the global AI landscape.

The generous contributions from supporters and attendees at the Gala will support 82 students throughout their educational journey, with funding directed toward curriculum development, teacher training, and the provision of computers and study materials.

The evening was facilitated by long-time supporters of Armenia and Gala Co-Chairs Gabrielle Gauthey & Valéry Safarian and brought together 200 guests, including esteemed attendees such as François-Xavier Bellamy, a prominent Member of the European Parliament, Mrs. Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, French Minister of Labor and Employment, Mrs. Hasmik Tolmajian, Ambassador of Armenia to France, Mr. Olivier Decottignies, Ambassador of France to Armenia, Aram Hakobyan, Permanent Representative of the RA to UNESCO and Hovhannes Avoyan, Founder and CEO of Picsart.

The Gala also featured remarks from prominent speakers like Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve, Co-Founder & CEO of Alan and Co-Founder and Board Member of Mistral AI, André Andonian, Chairman Emeritus of North Asia at McKinsey and Chairman of Asia Pacific at Flagship Pioneering, and Dr. Noubar Afeyan, Founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, Co-Founder and Chairman of Moderna.

Dr. Afeyan, who is also Co-Founder of FAST, recalled: “Recently, in Vagharshapat, I met with Generation AI students who are just as capable, as those I see at MIT or Harvard. What they need is a boost—encouragement to accelerate and succeed. We Armenians know how to improvise, we know how to imagine and we know how to hustle our way toward survival. Let’s tap into that imagination and harness AI in new, unforeseen ways, building companies and products that will transform our collective future.”

Suzanna Shamakhyan, FAST's Executive Director, said: “Our goal isn’t just to prepare young people for jobs in tech, but to help them become leaders and creators in this field, a space where there is an immense need and where Armenia has a chance to become part of the global value chain.”