Advanced Research in Computational Sciences & Artificial Intelligence
ASOF’s Initiative in Sciences & Technology for Armenia
Project Budget & Outline
Start small, and build towards regional & international prominence
Budget for 2025
Total support request from Armenia Fund
Key Deliverables for 2025
Teaching Component
International Workshop
❖ Delivering 22 classes to undergraduate and graduate students in Armenia
❖ Involve 75+ students across multiple universities
An additional $130,000 has already been committed by FAR and AUA + funding for the biotech direction through FAST currently under consideration
❖ 10 scholars from abroad teaching classes and engaging in collaborative research Training of local teaching assistants
❖ One week-long international workshop on the interface of A.I. and robotics
❖ 5 prominent experts delivering 5 lectures each on current advances in robotics and A.I.
❖ 100+ attendees from centers of excellence from around the world
❖ Interfacing for local industry and academic institutions
Research & Laboratory
Establish one teaching laboratory for hands-on training in Robotics, A.I., and imaging at Engineering City.
2 research projects in A.I. leveraging the new $8.5 million supercomputer that was secured through ASOF efforts: Molecular synthesis through A.I., Armenian natural language model.
2 research projects in robotics: Robotics vision via AI-driven optics design for drones, Image-based AI perception.
Longer Term Goals
As Determined by the Council on an Ongoing Basis
Armenia has the potential to become a regional powerhouse in certain areas of science and technology that can provide for its security and wealth.
Key to achieving this is to make use of the extensive network of professional Armenians at universities and research centers around the world.
Key Directions in the Sciences & Technology for Armenia
These directions require relatively modest resources for infrastructure, but a highly educated and skilled workforce that is internationally networked with centers of excellence around the world.
The strategy is to start with local capacity building through education and training.
ARCS.ai Governance
Governance Model & Operations
ASOF
Appoints
ASOF Council Appoints
ASOF Advisory Groups Advises
❖ Teaching & training programs
❖ Research programs
❖ Grant writing
❖ Seminars & Workshops
❖ Visitor program
❖ Tech transfer office Board
Educational & Research Institutions
Financial Partners and Patrons
Project/Industry Partners
The ARCS.ai Council, 2025-26
Appointed by the ASOF Executive Board
Armen Aghajanyan
FAIR (Meta)
Deep Learning, Large Language Models, NLP
Artur Alaverdyan
Co-Founder, Member of Board, Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology
Applied Physics, Entrepreneurship, High-Tech
Armen Askijian
Chief Technology Officer, Airbus U.S. Space and Defense
Aerospace Engineering, Space and Satellites, Mechanical Engineering
Diane Barber
Professor, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco
Cell biology
Justin Du Bois
Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology, by courtesy, Stanford University
Chemical Biology, Chemistry
Naira Hovakimyan
Professor, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Control Theory, Optimization
Adam Kablanian
High-Tech Executive, Entrepreneur, and Investor Founder of Alexandrea Winery
Electrical Engineering, High-Tech
Ann Karagozian
Distinguished Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
Combustion, Fluid Mechanics, Propulsion
Council on Sciences & Technology
A Committee of the Armenian Society of Fellows
Sarkis Mazmanian
Luis and Nelly Soux Professor of Microbiology, California Institute of Technology
Microbiology, Neuroscience
Alexandre Persat
Global Health Institute and Institute for Bioengineering, Ecole
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Biology, Biophysics, Microbiology
Ardem Patapoutian (Nobel Laureate)
Professor, Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Biology
Neuroscience
Vahe Petrosian
Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Departments, Chair of Astronomy Program, Stanford University
Astrophysics, Cosmology
Dork Sahagian
Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the Environmental Initiative, Lehigh University
Climate Change, Geophysics, Science and Society, Volcanology
Armen Zakarian
Vice Provost for Research, Professor and Chair, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Michigan Dearborn
Data Analytics, Digital Manufacturing, Systems Engineering
Representatives from the Armenian Government (Ex-Of fi cio)
Ministry of ESCS
Ministry of HTI
Parliament of the Republic of Armenia
The ARCS.ai Armenia Board 2025-26
Appointed by the ARCS.ai Council
Haig Alexander Eskandarian
Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School Biology, Medicine, Microbiology
Aram Galstyan
University of Southern California, Amazon Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science
Ivan Aprahamian Professor, Chair of the Chemistry Department, Dartmouth College Organic Chemistry, Adaptive Materials
Oshin Peroomian (Treasurer)
CTO Metacomp Technologies, Inc. and Adjunct lecturer at AUA
Computational Fluid Dynamics, Computational Multi-Physics
Nora Ayanian (chair)
Professor, Brown University
Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics
Karen Eguiazarian (Vice-Chair)
Professor in Signal processing, Tampere University, Finland, and CEO of Noiseless Imaging Ltd
Computational imaging & optics
Vatche Sahakian (Secretary)
Burton Bettingen Professor in Theoretical Physics at Harvey Mudd College
Patrons
Execution Team 2025-26
Teaching, Research, & Workshop
Instructors
Nora Ayanian
Professor of Robotics, Brown University
Armen Aghadjanian
Meta A.I.
Karen Eguiazarian
Professor in Signal processing, Tampere University, Finland, and CEO of Noiseless Imaging Ltd
Aram Galstyan
University of Southern California
Iren Mkhoyan
Delft University of Technology, Airbus
Sevak Mkrtchyan
Professor, Department of Mathematics, University of Rochester
Mihran Papikian
Professor, Department of Mathematics, Pennsylvania State University
Oshin Peroomian
CTO Metacomp Technologies, Inc.
Armen Shirikyan
Professor, Department of Mathematics, CY Cergy Paris University
Anush Tserunyan
Professor at McGill University, Mathematics and Statistics
Department
Local Instructors
Avetik Grigorian
President of AYAS Armenian Aerospace Society and CEO at Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory
Astghik Hakopyan
Polytechnic University of Armenia and CSIE
Hrachya Kocharyan
Assistant Professor, American University of Armenia, Materials & Mechanical Engineering
Hrant Khatchatryan
YerevanN and Yerevan State University
Masis Komrokian
IAN consulting, Founder
Research Group
Nora Ayanian
Professor of Robotics, Brown University
Astghik Hakobyan
CSIE, Robotics
Hrant Khatchatryan
Plus 12 members of YerevanN A.I. team
Karen Eguiazarian
Professor in Signal processing, Tampere University, Finland, and CEO of Noiseless Imaging Ltd
Curricular Program
Mathematics, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, and A.I.
15 Instructors
Mathematics Classes (hybrid format)
Mathematical Analysis I (15 weeks)
Mathematical Analysis II (15 weeks)
Mathematical methods in classical mechanics (15 weeks)
Ordinary Differential Equations (15 weeks)
Complex Analysis (15 weeks)
Algebra and Number Theory I (15 weeks)
Measure theory and ergodic theory (15 weeks)
Aerospace Engineering Classes
(in-person format, funded by AUA)
Introduction to Aerospace Engineering (3 weeks)
Introduction to Aerodynamics (15 weeks)
Flight and Orbital Mechanics (15 weeks)
Aerospace Systems & Control (15 weeks)
Aerospace Materials and Manufacturing (10 weeks)
Design and Analysis of Aerospace Structures (15 weeks)
22
Classes
75+ Students
Systems Engineering for Aerospace (15 weeks total)
Part I: Unmanned Aircraft Design (7.5 weeks)
Part II: Spacecraft Design (7.5 weeks)
Robotics and A.I. (in-person format)
Introduction to Robotics (10 weeks)
Computer Vision and Deep Learning for Robotics (10 weeks)
Advanced Robotics (10 weeks)
Image Processing and Robot Perception (10 weeks)
Robot Control Systems (10 weeks)
Planning for Autonomous Robots (10 weeks)
Assessment & Reviews
Students in all courses will provide anonymous evaluations of their experience. This information will be reviewed by ASOF Fellows specializing in educational assessment. At the end of the year, the ARCS.ai Board will present the outcomes of the year’s educational and training activities to the Council.
Research Program & Laboratory
Teaching with hands-on training
The project will set up a teaching laboratory in robotics at Engineering City. The laboratory will be used for teaching graduate students the foundations of robotics, and will also function as a foundation for an expansion into a larger research laboratory in an adjacent building in
Project 1:
Robotics vision via AI-driven optics design
Improve vision of autonomous robots using advanced optics design in challenging environments.
Application: Navigation of autonomous robots in lowlight environment.
Project 2:
Image-based AI Robot perception
Co-design of optics and image-based robot perception.
Application: Material identification, texture analysis.
The A.I. research will use the new nVidia supercomputer that Armenia purchased through the efforts of ASOF and which is being currently set up at Yerevan State University. The RA contributed $8.5 million for this.
Large Language Models for Life Sciences
Molecular design for pharmaceuticals based on a natural language model.
Project 2: Armenian Centric Translation System
For applications in business, literature, security, and soft power projection.
The Armenian Society of Fellows
Société Savante Arménienne Bibliothèque Nubar, 11 Sq. Alboni, 75016 Paris, France
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