Generation AI

General Information

About the program

The program aims to create an educational and career pipeline for an AI researcher that starts from the high school level. At the Public High Schools, a rigorous educational program in CS and AI will be introduced to students selected to pursue their careers in this field.

The program's pilot will start in the 2022 academic year and will be implemented in 10-12 public high schools located in Yerevan and regions. Two-level programs are aimed to be piloted:

The Basic Program, starting from 10th grade, deepens math and computer science knowledge in the first year of study and then guides the students to choose the professional path based on their needs and interests.
The Advanced Program, starting from the 2nd semester of the 11th grade, introduces Advanced Math, Computer Science, basics to Machine Learning and Deep Learning, and helps the students to gain practical skills and knowledge in this field. This program is one of the professional paths for students coming from the basic program.

Simultaneously, other initiatives will be implemented at the undergraduate level in cooperation with the Universities to meet the further education needs of this program’s alumni.The pilot will last about three years, and the program will further be expanded across the country in case of success.

The program is implemented in close cooperation with the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport andwill be in the framework of the program piloting the credit system at the secondary schools. It is intended to be carried out in consortium with other educational organizations and will join the effortsand activities of the organizations around this program.

Main Activities of the Program

Curriculum design

A rigorous curriculum and assessment policy tailored for each group will be developed based on the best practices and international standards with input from local and international experts. The curriculum in the 10th grade starts from basic math and from the second semester of the 11th grade turns into a broader training on Advanced Mathematics followed by specialized courses on programming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Besides the hard knowledge, a program for skill development and career orientation will be developed and introduced.

Development of educational resources

Development of learning and teaching resources both for teachers and students will be implemented to provide the opportunity of using in and out of the classroom, for self-learning, and hybrid-learning. In this regard, the current best practices and platforms will be utilized.

Development of a nationwide assessment/examination and selection methodology

To ensure the pipeline of identifying potential program participants both upon their entrance to high school, graduation, and for further engagement in the universities.

Capacity Building of teachers

A thorough capacity building will be implemented to equip faculty staff with the competencies essential to deliver the program. At the first stage, selected math and computer science faculty members will go through intensive capacity building to equip them with knowledge, skills, and innovative instructional techniques to successfully deliver the advanced curriculum. At the second stage, lecturers from higher education institutions and private sector experts will be engaged in instruction and supporting faculty staff's upskilling to ensure that students master all the learning outcomes designed in the program frames.

Schools’ selection and infrastructure development

During the pilot stage, the school selection will be done with the Ministry’s support. Necessary infrastructure including lab space, computer classrooms, andsoftware will be ensured to establish a powerful platform for practicing the newly developed curriculum andeffective teaching methods.

The Program Pilot will be implemented in two phases

Advanced Program (pilot starts Sept 2022) - module-based program starting from the 2nd semester of the 11th grade and will last till the end of the 12th grade. The curriculum is based on an educational program that FAST has been running already for 3 years and has 5 batches. The pilot will be held in Yerevan and Tavush public high schools. During the first semester, career orientation and program introductory sessions with the students and parents will be carried out.
Basic Program (pilot starts Sept 2023) - starting from the 10th grade till the 2nd semester of the 11th grade. The curriculum involves both hard knowledge of Math, CS, as well as skill development (critical thinking, design thinking, project management, research skills) and career orientation sessions. The program also intends to deepen knowledge of the English language with the support of partner organizations. The students will later have the opportunity to get involved in the advanced AI program or pursue their career in other programs that can be introduced by partner organizations (robotics, cybersecurity, etc.) and require deep math and computer science knowledge.

Target Beneficiaries of the Program

● High School and VET Students

● Math and Computer Science School teachers

● Industry Specialists in Machine Learning and Deep Learning

● High School Communities (Management, Teachers and Parents communities)

● University faculty and academic staff

2022

I Stage

2023

II Stage

2024

III Stage