PicsArt, an Armenian tech company, announced recently that it had “went unicorn,” which means it achieved a valuation of $1 billion. In a conversation with CivilNet, Mikayel Vardanyan, the co-founder of PicsArt and Chief Product Officer, explains what passing this major hurdle means for the company, what are the advantages of doing business in the Armenian tech sector, and what future plans he and his team have.
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Armenian opposition mayor ousted: ‘Is this what Pashinyan’s democracy looks
By Mark Dovich Local lawmakers from the Civil Contract party have ousted a prominent opposition mayor in Armenia, the latest in a string of instances where the ruling party has appeared to obstruct or undermine the democratic process after elections produced results favoring its opponents. Mayor Arkadi Tamazyan, a member of the Country for Living party who led the northern Armenian mining town of Alaverdi for just over a year, was brought down Tuesday in a vote of no confidence put forward by Civil Contract city councilors. Council members then moved immediately to install Davit Ghumashyan, a Civil Contract member, […]
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Cultural Heritage at Risk in Nagorno-Karabakh
Last month’s election of Azerbaijan to a senior position of the United Nations’ cultural body has raised concern regarding the fate of cultural monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh, given the organization’s responsibility to protect cultural heritage around the world. Following Azerbaijan’s forced displacement of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians last month, this additional development further increases the potential that Armenian cultural heritage, which notably includes the Amaras, Gandzasar, and Dadivank monasteries as well as the “We Are Our Mountains” statue, will be destroyed or appropriated. Amaras Monastery is one of the world’s oldest Christian monuments and is the site of the first […]
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How the Social Fabric Works: A Conversation With Nassim Nicholas
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a globally renowned thinker and philosopher best known for his “black swan theory,” visited Armenia last week. He sat down with CivilNet’s Eric Hacopian to talk about science, artificial intelligence, and current societal developments. Taleb is the author of several bestselling books, including: His insightful works delve into the realms of risk, probability, and resilience, offering profound perspectives on the complexities of life and the unpredictability of systems.
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Armenia Launches Its First Satellite
On December 1, Armenia’s first domestically made satellite “Hayasat-1” was launched by a SpaceX rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The project is a collaboration between Yerevan’s Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory and Armenia’s Center for Scientific Innovation and Education, and commissioned by Armenia’s Ministry of High Tech Industry. CSIE’s Technical Director of Space Programs Masis Gumrigyan gathered with supporters to watch the launch. Gumrigyan spoke about the challenges he and his team faced, and what this launch means for Armenia’s future in space.
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Insider Perspective on Armenia’s Military Transformation
In this episode, host Patrick Elliott interviews Regional Studies Center director Richard Giragossian. They discuss Giragossian’s analysis of ongoing military reforms in Armenia and structural weaknesses plaguing Azerbaijan that could undermine future military aggression. Insight is also provided into the dynamics shaping the strategic military environment and what it means for regional stability.
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Trade war fears grow as Armenian trucks pile up at
Hundreds of Armenian trucks remain stalled at a key border crossing between Georgia and Russia, prompting Yerevan to take the rare step of calling an emergency meeting of a Moscow-led trade bloc. A prolonged closure of the Upper Lars checkpoint would have disastrous effects for Armenia’s economy, experts have warned. Credits: Ruptly
