Gyumri Information Technology Center Director Yeghoyan Visits East Coast

GITC instituted rigorous procedures, starting with entrance exams for students. Only 30 people are accepted for the first year, and behavior, performance, speech and dress are all scrutinized in order to prepare people for the western business mentality. Classes are seven hours a day as in a regular place of work. Whoever fails is expelled without the certificate of graduation. Usually only 20 out of 30 graduate.

Students who do not possess the proper education are sent to a summer preparatory course before starting the two-year program. Students must decide between the web and mobile technology divisions. After learning the basics the first year, in the second year, the students are sent out to different places with specialists for practical work experience. Reports are sent back about their accomplishments, so that GITC sees who can actually do the work.

Students pay $500 tuition per year. During the second year, the students can work during the week for pay and come to classes on the weekend.

In 2010 GITC’s board decided to strive to create sustainability for its programs, and established a business department—GITC Solutions. It would find work for GITC’s graduates. The new approach is, said Yeghoyan, that “we will now ask our donors to find us work and projects for Gumri instead of our asking donors to give us money directly. We want to slowly become independent from donors. I am here now for this purpose.”

Yeghoyan declared that GITC can deliver a higher quality product at a cheaper cost than firms in Asia often used by US companies for outsourcing work. She said, “We want to remain in Gumri. If we have no work, we will all think of emigrating. Instead, we can do software and web development work for people in the diaspora. We have a great portfolio—we’ve worked for UNICEF (an e-learning portal), German associations, USAID and New York firms. We can do search engine optimization and mobile applications for IOS and Android.” She pointed out that GITC specialists can communicate in English, and offer a team to work on projects, not just individual specialists. She said, “Moreover, we don’t just prepare websites. We have a creative approach and can suggest new directions. Our flexibility is our strength.”

Yeghoyan’s own success story is a testament to both her native talents and the opportunities that diasporan assistance can provide. After graduating school in Gumri, she wanted to go to Yerevan but it was too expensive for her parents. Instead, she worked as a volunteer as a journalist and then at a psychology center. Then she studied at the Gumri Pedagogical Institute while working part-time as a translator to earn her tuition. After getting married and having children, thought she would have to leave Armenia in order to economically survive. She pointed out that “in Armenia, if you don’t have a lot of money or great patronage, you can’t make it. And I had neither.”

Fortuitously, after taking her final exams, her English teacher told her about a new center being founded in Gumri, which needed an administrative assistant. She went to GITC, not believing that they would accept somebody without connections. Yet after the interview, they accepted her. The director, Narine Petrosyan, encouraged her to overcome new challenges and helped her learn new computer programs, but six months later left for the US. Soon Yeghoyan became coordinator of the academic department, and began working closely with Nanagoulian at FAR. Then she became assistant director. In 2011 she became director. She said, “I was fortunate that American Armenians were my directors. They helped me learn from my mistakes. Even our donors are so modest and humble that when they call they ask first whether I have two minutes to talk.”

Nanagoulian later said, “We wanted Amalya to come here to promote GITC’s new approach. She is very impressive. She worked her way up to become a leader. She can easily turn into a mayor or leader of the province. And GITC proved to be an extremely efficient entity. It is now a recognized name in Armenia, and provides advanced training to business owners, academics and non-governmental organizations. Armenian businesses here in the US will see that our people can deliver at least as good service as the Indians on a continuing basis, and at a lower price.” FAR likes the GITC model so much that it is considering similar approaches in cities like Vanadzor and Stepanakert.