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Press releases
17
09, 2010
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan’s statement at the ceremony of awarding the Victor Hambardzumian International Prize
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Awardees and Guests,
Today, I am honored and pleased to award the Victor Hambardzumian International Prize. This is a new event in our life which testifies to a great interest that Armenia has toward astronomy, astrophysics and adjoining fields. It also testifies to the importance that our public opinion and public perception assign to the achievements in this area. The great personality, who shaped this opinion and perception, was Victor Hambardzumian, a world-famous astrophysicist, who created the Byurakan observatory and established scientific school. His exceptional personality became a role model for many young Armenian men and women and they chose careers in astronomy and astrophysics, achieving impressive results on the international arena.
Foreign specialists of the history of astronomy were the first to recognize the territory of historical Armenia as the cradle of the science of astronomy, and later they were joined by the Armenian specialists who brought new evidence to the fact. Numerous sites Armenia are considered to be ancient observatories. Explorations of our forefathers were successfully carried on by Victor Hambardzumian and other representatives of the Armenian school of astronomy.
I am happy that our Prize has found its first deserving laureates. I cordially congratulate them on this success and wish new scientific achievements. With this Prize, dear awardees, we not only recognize your achievements but also endeavor to bring wide public recognition to the discoveries which are of universal significance.
In our pragmatic times, discovery and classification of new celestial bodies and their centers outside the solar system, which are not directly linked to profit and financial proceeds, can be viewed as a very romantic endeavor. However we are confident that such scientific achievements ultimately expanded our horizons and borders of our knowledge and propelled the human civilization forward.
All people look into skies – some occasionally, some frequently – however there are people who see in the skies a lot more that we do. Today, in this hall we celebrate these very people – Professor of the University of Geneva Michel Mayor and his scientific team, who saw and told the world of the things that the world didn’t know yet.
I thank the organizers of the competition and the members of the selection commission – they have done a great job and impartially have chosen the best. I wish the commission to continue to uphold high standards.
It is very inspiring, that in the process of establishing the prize fund, the state was joined by Lyus and Pyunik Foundations. My special thanks go to the people who had trust in the potential of this initiative and made it possible through their gracious donations. In this regard, I would like to particularly recognize Hrant Vardanian and Gabriel Jambarjian. I thank these individuals. It is very important that projects like this one are supported not only by the state but also by individuals.
The Victor Hambardzumian Prize should foster science development and be worthy of the great talent and memory of the Armenian scientist and patriot. In perspective, the Prize will become a great impetus for the development of astronomy in Armenia and science in general. We have established this Prize with that conviction, and I am proud that it has become a fact, and I congratulate us all on that occasion.
Thank you.
Dear Awardees and Guests,
Today, I am honored and pleased to award the Victor Hambardzumian International Prize. This is a new event in our life which testifies to a great interest that Armenia has toward astronomy, astrophysics and adjoining fields. It also testifies to the importance that our public opinion and public perception assign to the achievements in this area. The great personality, who shaped this opinion and perception, was Victor Hambardzumian, a world-famous astrophysicist, who created the Byurakan observatory and established scientific school. His exceptional personality became a role model for many young Armenian men and women and they chose careers in astronomy and astrophysics, achieving impressive results on the international arena.
Foreign specialists of the history of astronomy were the first to recognize the territory of historical Armenia as the cradle of the science of astronomy, and later they were joined by the Armenian specialists who brought new evidence to the fact. Numerous sites Armenia are considered to be ancient observatories. Explorations of our forefathers were successfully carried on by Victor Hambardzumian and other representatives of the Armenian school of astronomy.
I am happy that our Prize has found its first deserving laureates. I cordially congratulate them on this success and wish new scientific achievements. With this Prize, dear awardees, we not only recognize your achievements but also endeavor to bring wide public recognition to the discoveries which are of universal significance.
In our pragmatic times, discovery and classification of new celestial bodies and their centers outside the solar system, which are not directly linked to profit and financial proceeds, can be viewed as a very romantic endeavor. However we are confident that such scientific achievements ultimately expanded our horizons and borders of our knowledge and propelled the human civilization forward.
All people look into skies – some occasionally, some frequently – however there are people who see in the skies a lot more that we do. Today, in this hall we celebrate these very people – Professor of the University of Geneva Michel Mayor and his scientific team, who saw and told the world of the things that the world didn’t know yet.
I thank the organizers of the competition and the members of the selection commission – they have done a great job and impartially have chosen the best. I wish the commission to continue to uphold high standards.
It is very inspiring, that in the process of establishing the prize fund, the state was joined by Lyus and Pyunik Foundations. My special thanks go to the people who had trust in the potential of this initiative and made it possible through their gracious donations. In this regard, I would like to particularly recognize Hrant Vardanian and Gabriel Jambarjian. I thank these individuals. It is very important that projects like this one are supported not only by the state but also by individuals.
The Victor Hambardzumian Prize should foster science development and be worthy of the great talent and memory of the Armenian scientist and patriot. In perspective, the Prize will become a great impetus for the development of astronomy in Armenia and science in general. We have established this Prize with that conviction, and I am proud that it has become a fact, and I congratulate us all on that occasion.
Thank you.