TUMO Stepanakert Celebrates First Birthday

When you step into the TUMO center in Stepanakert, you find yourself in an environment of dualities. The earthiness of the masonry walls contrasts with the latest technology, while the unique sounds of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) dialect are offset by universal languages like JavaScript and Python.

TUMO Stepanakert celebrated its first birthday

Since it opened a year ago through the TUMOxAGBU partnership, the center has hosted over 1,000 teens from the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

The center celebrated its first anniversary on Sept. 2–Artsakh Independence Day–with a large, open-air festival in the center of Stepanakert. The free event had music and games, and featured the work of TUMO Stepanakert’s students.

During its busy first year, TUMO Stepanakert hosted 22 workshops, ranging from animation to programming, where teens gained fundamental skills in TUMO’s focus areas. TUMO also hosted three “Luys” scholars who conducted research and taught students.

In seven learning labs led by industry professionals, students captured the life around them with photographer Pier Paolo Cito from Italy; programmed their own robots with Josep Fargas from Barcelona; designed a website containing some well-known Nagorno Karabagh personalities like Yerevan-based Zoom Graphics web specialists Samvel Chobanyan and Monte Hakobjanyan. They documented their ceaselessly inspiring environment with photographer Scout Tufankjian from the U.S.; experimented with lyrics, genres and Armenian folk music with Collectif Medz Bazar’s Sevana Tchakerian of France; distilled Artsakh’s fun and interesting details into infographics with graphic designer Sedrak Mkrtchyan, and explored the limits of digital media storytelling with Esquire Russia’s Grigor Atanesyan and Blueprint’s Gina Onegina.

The year was also rich with individual stories like that of Sargis, a TUMO student who rides a bus three hours each way from Haterq to get to TUMO; Mariam, the 14-year-old robotics wunderkind; and Samvel, the breakout photography star.

The center remained open during the Artsakh-Azeri military flare-up in April and was even transformed into a resource center for journalists. Throughout the turmoil, students remained focused on their future and their education inside the walls of TUMO. After all, they had deadlines to meet.

TUMO CEO Marie Lou Papazian finds it hard to contain her excitement over TUMO Stepanakert’s first birthday.

“I’ve been asked, given the current circumstances, is this the right time to launch TUMO in Stepanakert? My answer is: now is the best time ever.

“These teens need every opportunity to experience normal daily lives with great aspirations toward their own future and that of their homeland,” Papazian added. “Artsakh does not begin or end with the latest geopolitical developments. We believe it has a great future and we don’t want to miss the opportunity to be part of it.”

TUMO Stepanakert manager Korioun Khatchadourian echoed Papazian’s sentiments.

“Reaching this milestone inspires so much hope. I’m proud of our team and our students, and I’m very much looking forward to the new academic year.”

AGBU Armenia President and Central Board Member Vasken Yacoubian is equally excited noting, “We are proud to be part of this success. Today, when innovation and advanced technologies play a central role in Armenia’s sustainable development, our top priority is to invest in creative thinking and inspire talented young people to enter innovation-related occupations.

“AGBU’s continuous support to TUMOxAGBU centers in Gyumri and Stepanakert affirms our commitment to providing innovative education, tools and resources for youth, thus increasing Armenia’s national innovation capacity.”

With one year complete, TUMO Stepanakert is already imagining what is to come next for its special center brimming with possibilities.