“We haven’t even begun to understand the impact that the UWC Dilijan International School will have. We only see the tip of the iceberg through students who are just graduating from universities. However, I am sure that the legacy left by this School and its mission will indeed change many things in Armenia and beyond its borders,” said Yaroslav Zabavskiy, head of arts at UWC Dilijan International School, in an interview conversation with NEWSews.am on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the UWC Dilijan International School.
Yaroslav Zabavskiy believes thatIn his opinion, the School’s influence on Armenia is multilayered. “We have people from all over the world — students, their parents, their families — who know and are starting to know Armenia. Many are visiting Armenia for the first time. I myself have seen how Dilijan has developed during these eight years. Back when I had just joined the School, there were maybe three restaurants in Dilijan; now, there are probably 23. The shops were very small, and you didn’t know where you could buy certain products; but now, everything is here,” said Zabavskiy, who has been living in Armenia for eight years and considers the country an important part of his life.
“When these students leave here to study in universities and colleges, and later to launch their careers and professional activities in various fields, they will always remember that they took an important step in their education in Armenia. They will remember how they learned their first Armenian words, how they went to see Saryan’s paintings. I hope this stays with them, and the more people study and graduate from this School, the greater and more evident the impact will be around the world. So, I think that what is happening right now is that seeds are being planted, and, of course, we will need time to see how they will grow,” said Zabavskiy.
“The more people learn about Armenia and Armenian culture and Armenian history — including not only the Armenian Genocide, but also some really bright and joyful periods of Armenian history, poetry, art, visual arts, and music — I think it’s important because they will keep Armenia in their minds and in their hearts. They will keep Armenia in mind in their decision-making, as well, when there are important decisions — economic and political decisions — being made. So I think it will have a huge effect on the world later on,” he remarked. our interviewee.
Speaking about the contributions to the field of education of the founders of the School, Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend, our interlocutor Zabavskiy noted that education, learning, and knowledge are the main focusvital themes across all their projects.
“If one looks closely at Ruben’s projects — this School, the SKOLKOVO School of Management in Moscow, and other projects — it becomes evident that education, learning, knowledge, the community in which this knowledge and learning is happening, are the vital themes in all these projects. So I think that not just in Dilijan, not just in Armenia, but across all the initiatives that Ruben and Veronika are part of, education and learning are in first place, so they play a huge role.”
İlk yorum yapan siz olun