ASOF 2026 - Strategy Session
ARINE
HOW WE OPERATE
Operating Principles
Coordinate
A point of coordination and collaboration with partners in Armenia and across the Diaspora.
Build
On existing efforts — focused on transformational impact, held to high international standards.
Spin off
Mature initiatives become independent entities — keeping every project agile and flexible.
Sustain, Adjust
Sustain by drawing international grants.
Employ scientific approach with assessment and continual adjustments.
2025-26
Four Highlights of 2025-26 Operations
Natural Sciences
Health Sciences strategic plan & interfacing with Life Sciences
June 19 @ 11:30
June 19 Side Session
ArCH
Cultural Heritage funding
June 19 @ 10:30
Engineering
Seismic Safety
June 19 @ 9:30
ARCS∙ai
Launching new center on Robotics and AI
June 19 @ 15:45
June 18, 19 Side Sessions
PILLAR I · SCIENCES & EDUCATION
ARCS∙ai — Robotics & AI
$14M
for education & research program
$8M
in computational infrastructure
1 : 1
matching from the Armenian government
ASOF Council on Sciences�& Technology
PILLAR II · HEALTH & LIFE SCIENCES
Health & Life Sciences Strategic Plan
01
Cancer prevention & screening
02
Electronic health records
03
Medical education
04
Healthcare governance & policy
PILLAR III · CULTURE
ArCH — Armenian Cultural Heritage Strategic Plan
I
Pan-Armenian Cultural Heritage Inventory — flagship
III
Literary odyssey & international translation program
IV
International conference series on Armenian contributions to world culture
II
Monument-preservation educational and training program
PILLAR IV · SEISMIC SAFETY
Collaboration between UDC and Seismic Safety Group
A
Technical Foundation for a National Seismic Retrofit Program
C
Education and Training
D
National Seismic Retrofit Program
B
Supervision & Certification
NEXT STEPS
The Road Ahead, 2026, 2027-
2026
Implement Healthcare governance & policy
2027
Health-sciences assessment consolidated into a national proposal to the Armenian government for 01, 02, and 03 above
Initiate ArCH project on Pan-Armenian Inventory, with Armenian Bar Association, Stanford’s Starling Lab, and others
AI Council — an advisory body to the government
✔️
Seismic safety collaboration with UDC
✔️
ETICA/FORESEE at AUA: research and analysis of ethics in public policy, impact of AI on society.
✔️
Launch ARCS∙ai: Center of excellence in Robotics + AI
✔️
IAN + ANSEF mentorship for Armenian students worldwide
✔️
Pan-Armenian Inventory version 1 completed
Gregoriana conference (IV) in Rome — May 24–25 · Armenian thought in the making of Europe (philosophy, faith, memory, legal thought)
Health and Life sciences proposal with 1:1 State matching
Initiating implementation of components 01, 02, and 03
Fund Seismic Safety operations through grants
Fund ArCH projects
BEHIND THE STAGE
Vahe Kuzoyan (ServiceTitan)
Rev Lebaredian (Nvidia)
Artur Alaverdyan (FAST)
Hakob Arshakyan (AIF)
Ashot Hovanesian (Synergy)
BEHIND THE STAGE
BEHIND THE STAGE
ASOF Council on Sciences�& Technology
Artur Alaverdyan
Co-Founder & Board Member, Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST)
Ani Aprahamian
Freimann Professor of Physics, University of Notre Dame
Maria Baghramian
ERA Chair & Director, Center for Ethics in Public Life (ETICA), American University of Armenia
Diane Barber
Professor, Cell & Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco
Paul Boghossian
Julius Silver Professor of Philosophy, New York University
Mark Chenian
UBS Financial Services Inc.
Al Eisaian
Co-Founder & Board Member, IntelinAir Inc.
Anoush Fraser Terjanian
Fellow, Human Rights Research & Education Centre, University of Ottawa
Nina Hovnanian
CEO, Hovnanian International · Founding Board Member, Yerevan Biennial Arts Foundation
Artak Melkonyan
Senior Advisor on Equity Financing & Funds, Impact Ventures Accelerators · UNDP
Ara Nazarian
Associate Professor, Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Mary Papazian
Senior Fellow, AGB · former President, San Jose State University
Oshin Peroomian
CTO, Metacomp Technologies · Adjunct Lecturer, American University of Armenia
Levon Abrahamian
Head, Dept. of Contemporary Anthropological Studies, Institute of Archaeology & Ethnography, NAS Armenia
Eva Aroutunian
Head of the Geneva Music Conservatory · President, Association Ensemble Paul Klee (Bern)
Antonia Arslan
Writer
Peter Balakian
Rebar Professor of the Humanities, Colgate University · Pulitzer Prize–winning poet
Gaianè Casnati
SIREH Scientific & Strategic Director · Europa Nostra Council Member
Levon Chookaszian
Director, Chair of Art History & Theory, Yerevan State University
Marina Djabbarzade
Heritage Management Consultant
Jasmine Dum-Tragut
Head, Armenian Studies Division, University of Salzburg · Director, Center for the Study of the Christian East
Atom Egoyan
Oscar-nominated writer & director (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
Talinn Grigor
Professor of Art History, University of California, Davis
Alfred Kocharyan
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports
Christina Maranci
Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies, Harvard University
Charles Personnaz
Director, Institut National du Patrimoine, French Ministry of Culture
Andrea Peto
Central European University
Nune Petrosyan
Deputy Chairman, Urban Development Committee
Lisa Siraganian
J. R. Herbert Boone Chair in Humanities & Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Ivan Aprahamian
Professor & Chair of the Chemistry Department, Dartmouth College
Nora Ayanian
Associate Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, Brown University
Karen Eguiazarian
Professor, Tampere University, Finland · CEO, Noiseless Imaging Ltd
Haig Alexander Eskandarian
Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School
Aram Galstyan
Amazon
Oshin Peroomian
CTO, Metacomp Technologies · Adjunct Lecturer, American University of Armenia
Vatche Sahakian
Burton Bettingen Professor in Theoretical Physics, Harvey Mudd College
Sedrak Sargisian
Senior Director of Engineering, Siemens Digital Industries Software
ASOF �Executive Board
Armen Aghajanyan
Perceptron AI
Artur Alaverdyan
Co-Founder & Board Member, Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST)
Armen Askijian
Chief Technology Officer, Airbus U.S. Space and Defense
Diane Barber
Professor, Cell & Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco
Justin Du Bois
Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry, Stanford University
Naira Hovakimyan
Professor, Mechanical Science & Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Adam Kablanian
High-Tech Executive, Entrepreneur & Investor
Ann Karagozian
Distinguished Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UCLA
Sarkis Mazmanian
Luis & Nelly Soux Professor of Microbiology · Merkin Institute Professor, Caltech
Ardem Patapoutian (Nobel Laureate)
Professor of Neuroscience, Scripps Research Institute ·
Alexandre Persat
Global Health Institute & Institute for Bioengineering, EPFL
Vahe Petrosian
Professor of Physics & Applied Physics · Chair, Astronomy Program, Stanford University
Dork Sahagian (Nobel Laureate)
Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University
Armen Zakarian
Interim Dean, College of Engineering & Computer Science, University of Michigan-Dearborn
ARCS∙ai �Executive Board
Viken Babikian
Professor of Neurology, Boston University
David Essayan �Executive Vice President, ONCORD, Inc.
Susan Jerian �CEO, ONCORD, Inc.
Shakeh Kaftarian �Research scientist at the US National Institutes of Health (ret)
Armine Lulejian �Associate Director, Informatics Education, Training and Outreach, CTSI; Assistant Professor, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Jerry Manoukian �Internal medicine, El Camino Health
Mariam Manoukian �Internal Medicine, El Camino Medical Network
Shant Shekherdimian �Associate Professor of Surgery- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery University of California, Los Angeles
Ara Tekian �Dr. Georges Bordage Professor of Medical Education, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
ASOF Committee on Health Sciences
Marco Brambilla
Domus International Group; Professor of Architectural Preservation, Italy, Iran (retired)
Armen Minassian
Architect, Assistant professor, and advisor to the NUACA, Member of EERI and AESA-NE
Armen Der Kiureghian
Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley
Armen Martirossyan
ARPA Technology Group, Principal
Martin Eskijian
Senior Engineer, Ocean/coastal structures
Petros Keshishian
CEO, Risk Analytics Group, Inc.
Seismic Safety
FUNDING ArCH
National Fund for
the Promotion & Protection
of Armenian Cultural Heritage
with
ARMENIA BANKS
ARMENIA IT SECTOR
DIASPORA FOUNDATIONS & BENEFACTORS
ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT [matching? Tax incentives?]
Coordinate partnerships with international funding agencies
Incubate strategic projects
ARMENIA+DIASPORA
Institutions
Expectations