Mario Mazzola to donate USD 1 million to American University of Armenia

Chief Development Officer at Cisco Systems, Inc. Mario Mazzola who received the 2014 Global Award of the Armenian President for Outstanding Contribution to Humanity through IT will donate USD 1 million to the American University of Armenia (AUA).

It was stated at the press conference dedicated to the Global Award of the Armenian President for Outstanding Contribution to Humanity through IT. Chief of Staff of the President of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan, Chairman of the Executive Board of the GIT Award HovikMusaelyan, VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian, President of Viasphere International Tony Moroyan and President of the American University of Armenia Armen Der-Kiureghian were among the speakers of the press conference.

Global Award of the President of Armenia for Outstanding Contribution to Humanity through IT was established in 2009. The Award is financed by VivaCell-MTS.

The award is granted on an annual basis to individuals, who have made an exceptional contribution in the spheres of technologies, education, organization, finances, etc., and whose internationally acclaimed efforts resulted in serious development of the information technologies sphere.

“By financing the award we have our input in raising global awareness of our country’s IT potential. In line with other sectors, VivaCell-MTS pays great attention to the education sector. Particularly valuable is the visit of famous IT experts to our country who have a meeting with especially the youth and share theirpractice with them. This award serves precisely this purpose,”said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.

“The sum donated by Mario Mazzola will be used to support students facing financial difficulties to cover their tuition fees. Annually, around 20 students will receive scholarships,”said President of the American University of Armenia Armen Der-Kiureghianstressing that the students of the computer science will be the target.

According to him, when the university first started offering BS in computer science, it had only 40 students. The number of students applying for this program reached 80 last year and this year the university expects to have 120 students.

“Before visiting Armenia, Mario Mazzola had not even heard of it and it is odd as everybody in the Silicon Valley knows about Armenia. After his visit, he expressed the wish to support the development of higher education in Armenia. Donation to the tune of USD 1 million to the AUA is aimed at it too,” said President of Viasphere International Tony Moroyan.

He also informed that Cisco will be represented in Armenia in the coming years.

“The award was such a success that we decided to issue post stamps, post cards and envelopes with the goal to inform the international community about this important award. A card of state significance is issued every three years. Late this year we will have the second card depicting the winners of the past three years,” stated Chairman of the Executive Board of the GIT Award HovikMusaelyan.

Chief of Staff of the President of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan said that laureate of the 2013 Global IT Award of the Armenian President,Founder and President at Techno Vision, former CEO of the Hitachi Company TsugioMakimotohas written a book called “Armenia as an Innovative Country.” The book will be released in Japanese in the near future.

“I think we will have a special presentation of this book in Yerevan. It will be available also in Armenian and English in the future,” said Vigen Sargsyan.

Touching upon as to when the laureate of the 2013 Global IT Award of the Armenian President will be known, he said that they already have a list of nominees but the final decisionwill be made in September and the award will be granted in November.