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president.am, Armenia
Sept 19 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.
From: A. Papazian
Sept 19 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.
From: A. Papazian