On June 7, 2017, the Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the “Hayartun” Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia hosted a meeting that gathered the Armenian students studying at different higher education institutions of Tbilisi and the Armenian youth enrolled in one-year Georgian language preparatory program (the program, referred to as “1+4”) .

The initiative to this meeting came from the Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. The Youth Department Director, Valery Badalyan, introduced Harut Malkhasyan and Stepan Evajyan, who study Social and Political Sciences and Computer Science respectively in Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. At the initiative of the aforementioned students a skill development and training program for the Armenian youth enrolled in one-year Georgian language preparatory program, who want to get their bachelor’s diploma in Georgia, was launched in March of the current year at the Diocese. The main objective was to help the Armenian youth to take university entrance exams in Georgian language with regard to the profession.

The Armenian students of other higher education institutions in Tbilisi, as well as Nina Seropova, Students Activities Coordinator, soon joined the initiative. The program focused on medical and law entrance exams, admission information on the faculty of economics and the faculty of humanities.

The number of students taking the course continued to increase every day. Almost 70 young Armenians were enrolled in the training course taking place once a week in the Hayartun Center, as well as in the Cathedral of Saint George.

At the conclusion of the training course, speeches were made by the students of the preparatory program. They expressed their appreciation and gratitude to Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and the initiators, for the assistance provided, as it had given them the opportunity to learn more about the forthcoming exams and develop in-depth knowledge in different academic disciplines in Georgian language.

The attendees made a suggestion to continue the volunteer training courses, in the same framework, and with the support of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia to prepare some special booklets for the future university entrants and spread them in the regions.

The Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese conveyed its appreciation to the initiative of the Armenian students and their assistance provided to the Armenian youth to get education in Georgian language, and granted Certificates of Appreciation to the 16 students of different universities, who hosted the courses. At the conclusion of the event the organizers wished the students success in all their endeavors. Guests also enjoyed a cake.