STEPANAKERT, Karabagh — The Prime Minister of the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh Ara Harutunyan, and Eduardo Eurnekian, an internationally-recognized Argentinean-Armenian businessman, signed a memorandum of understanding, launching the implementation of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program in Nagorno Karabagh (NKR).
OLPC is an educational program developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. OLPC develops state-of-the-art laptop computers, which are equipped with advanced educational software for students in developing countries.
The program is aimed at providing laptop computers to elementary schools in Karabagh and connecting them to the Internet through wireless networks to be installed in their facilities.
The Nagorno Karabagh government has welcomed Eurnekian’s initiative with great excitement and incorporated the OLPC program in its educational system. The government has also committed to make telecommunications interconnection available in all schools, in order to enhance the educational impact of the OLPC program.Eurnekian has asked the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) to assist in the implementation of the project. AGBU, the biggest non-profit Armenian organization of the world, have undertaken the responsibility of providing the necessary on-the-ground support to ensure the success of the OLPC project.
“The world community sees Nagorno Karabagh within the context of war and regional conflict. People fail to take note of the children who are born and live there. These children are entitled to the universal right of education and access to information,” said Eurnekian. “Through OLPC, I intend to bridge the gap and give the children of NKR the opportunity to receive the best education the world has to offer,” Eurnekian continued.