Armenian News Network - Groong: Week In Review Podcast

Armenia has European grade laws in the areas of finance, business, data protection and privacy. What is preventing Armenia from achieving its full potential in foreign direct investment (FDI)?  Why do many Armenian startups incorporate in foreign countries, and use Armenia as their offshore labor resource?

Guest

Our guest today is David Sandukhchyan, who is an Armenian lawyer with 20 years of experience in telecommunications, cyber law, media and personal data protection. He started his legal career as an Internet freedom advocate and made substantial contributions to the development of media, telecommunication and technology legislation in Armenia. 

David was Chief Counsel for over 8 years at Beeline, one of the leading Armenian telecom operators. From 2005 to 2007 he was a member of the Council of Europe expert group on human rights in information society and committee of experts on electronic democracy.  

Today David lives in Toronto, Canada and as a private consultant he is involved in many Internet freedom, data protection and telecommunications development projects.  He holds a BA degree in law and a Master’s in physics. He is a certified ISO information security auditor with a Certificate in Advanced Cyber Security from York University in Toronto.

Analysis and Discussion

What were some of the major headaches of the chief counsel for one of the largest telecom operators in Armenia?

How did the government’s relationship with large companies evolve over your nearly a decade at Armentel?

Are there citizen initiatives like the EFF to champion privacy protections in Armenia?

Armenia prides itself as the “Silicon Valley of the former USSR” and we have seen some successes where a number of Armenian startups eventually got a significant amount of VC investment in Armenia. Some of the major success stories pride themselves in having a value that’s measured in the hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. For instance, the best-known startup PicsArt has received $65 million VC investment so far according to Crunchbase. Another popular startup Krisp is in the Series A funding stage with $8.5 million so far, and there are more examples.

But there is a common pattern we’re seeing. In both cases, we’ve seen these startups re-incorporate in the US (specifically Silicon Valley) prior to getting investments. What this means in reality is that these companies become US companies and the value of the company largely transfers from Armenia to the US, leaving the Armenian branch as an outsourcing center for the US company. 

Armenia is compliant with EU regulations, so the laws are pretty good. But the way Armenina works is not great because it works on the basis that people should trust the government. But the basis for this trust is not in place. What are the causes for this? 

- Lack of trust by foreign investors because their capital is not protected;
- Judiciary: personalities & processes;
- Kompromat as part of “the system”;
- Armenian government's stance on the issue of privacy, media freedoms.


Guest: David Sandukhchyan

Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan

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Topics:

- Armenian POW Gurgen Alaverdyan
- Armenia’s Humanitarian Aid to Aleppo
- Serge Sargsyan’s Interview and the Four-Day War Deliberations
- National Awards
- Vagharshak Harutyunyan’s Appointment as Chief Advisor to Pashinyan

Resident Panelists:

- Asbed Kotchikian
- Emil Sanamyan
- Alen Zamanyan

Hosts:

- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian

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In this second part of our Conversation On Groong on Turkey, Asbed Kotchikian continues to explore Turkey’s transformation throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty first, and the underlying dynamics powering these changes.

Topics:

• Turkey: Zero Problems?
  Turkey has been pursuing a more active foreign policy towards its neighbors in the Caucasus and the Former Soviet space. What are the driving forces behind this foreign policy?
• Azerbaijan: The Myth of Brotherly Relations?
• Armenia: From Diplomatic Overtures to a Mini Cold War

Host: Asbed Kotchikian

Panelists:
- Varuzhan Geghamyan
- Ara Sanjian
- Vahram Ter-Matevosyan
- Diana Yayloyan

Produced by:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian

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In 2002, Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) won a sweeping victory in the country’s general elections, dominating and shaping domestic and foreign policies of Turkey for nearly two decades to this date. Outwardly, under Erdogan’s and AKP’s leadership, Turkey has transformed from a country with a stated and acclaimed foreign policy seeking “zero problems with neighbors” to one that is actively engaged in economic, political and military rivalry with its Middle East and other regional neighbors, as well as balancing global players. Armenia is deeply affected by the quality of relationships that Turkey conducts with each of its neighbors.

In this first part of our Conversation on Groong about Turkey, we explore Continuity and Change in Political Culture and Foreign Policy in Turkey covering transition from Kemalism to Islamism, as defined by the AKP. We look at how recent events fit together within the framework of continuous, yet changing, state policies. We also discuss Turkey’s foreign policy in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

Topics:

• Turkey’s Transformation in Historical Perspective
  How has Turkey transformed in the last several decades moving from Kemalism to Islamism? 
• Change and Continuity of Turkish Political Culture
  How has the political culture in Turkey changed in the past two decades? How have those changes influenced Turkey’s policies domestically (minorities, political parties, etc) as well as in its Foreign policy?
• Turkey’s Foreign Policy
  Turkey has been pursuing a more active foreign policy. What are the driving forces behind this foreign policy? How can we explain Turkish expanding influence from its immediate neighborhood to the larger mediterranean?

Host: Asbed Kotchikian

Panelists:

• Varuzhan Geghamyan
• Ara Sanjian
• Vahram Ter-Matevosyan
• Diana Yayloyan

Produced by:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

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This Week in Review we talk with Hrant Mikaelian to discuss important issues and developments around Armenia, such as the Coronavirus Pandemic, and its economic effect; Armenia’s membership in EurAsian Economic Union and the economic effect of that organization on Armenia; and some of the trends affecting Russia and its economy.

Hrant will then join us in our weekly lightning round of questions from the past week’s headlines, to analyze Prime Minister Pashinyan’s interview with BBC’s HARDtalk; the presidential elections in Belarus; and the continuing standoff at Amulsar Gold Mine between Lydian and local residents and environmental activists.

Topics:

• Interview with Hrant Mikaelian
• Lightning Round
  • Nikol Pashinyan’s Interview on BBC HARDtalk
  • Belarus Presidential Elections
  • Amulsar Gold Mine

Special Guest: Hrant Mikaelian

Resident Panelists:

• Asbed Kotchikian
• Artyom Tonoyan
• Alen Zamanyan

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

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Education Reform in Armenia
Asbed Kotchikian talks with Ara Sanjian & Siranush Dvoyan

Topics:

• Background of education reform(s) in Armenia
• In depth analysis of the content, standards & measurable outcomes of the proposed curriculum’s history & literature segments.
• Challenges of implementing the proposed curriculum 

In recent months, Armenia’s government has published its proposal for K-12 curriculum reform in Armenian schools. The new curriculum, which includes education standards and learning outcomes, proved to be quite controversial with many individuals and groups criticizing one aspect or another of the proposed curriculum notably the segments on literature and Armenian history. These criticisms ranged from in-depth critique of the content of the proposed plan to outlandish and sometimes baseless accusations. In order to shed some light on this issue specifically the history and literature components of the new proposed curriculum, this week we have invited two scholars who have been following these debates and the content of the new curriculum intimately. 

Asbed Kotchikian is a senior lecturer of political science and international relations at Bentley University in Massachusetts where he teaches courses on the Middle East and former Soviet space. Prof. Kotchikian is also a consultant for international organizations on issues of judicial reform, ways to combat radicalization and on ethnic and religious minorities. He discusses the  proposed reforms with:

Prof. Ara Sanjian is Associate Professor of History and the Director of the Armenian Research Center at University of Michigan, Dearborn. He received his undergraduate degree from Yerevan State University (YSU) in what was then the Soviet Republic of Armenia, and has been involved in numerous academic projects in Armenia. His research interests focus on the post-World War I history of Armenia, Turkey and the Arab states of Western Asia. And:

Prof. Siranush Dvoyan is a literary studies scholar and associate professor of Armenian and Comparative Literature at the American University of Armenia. She is a graduate of YSU and taught there for over a decade.

Discussion areas:

• Brief background
• The background of the current proposed curriculum: When was it conceived and what has its development process been like and who were involved in the committee?
• In terms of content, how does the proposed curriculum compare to the previous one? What are some of the main changes, additions, omissions?
  • In literature?
  • In history?
• About the standards and measurements of the proposed curricula: How realistic and feasible are the norms, standards and measurable outcomes as defined by the new curriculum? 
• About the implementation (pedagogy) of the proposed curricula: how feasible is it? Is there a trained and knowledgeable workforce of teachers and instructors with mastery of the proposed content, to deliver it with excellence to students?
• Rating of the current AND the proposed curricula.

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Topics:

• The Massive Explosion in Beirut
• Lightning Round
  • Turkey-Azerbaijan Military Exercises
  • Mashtots Park
  • Cyber Security Intrusion
  • Law on Media Regulation
  • Beirut Explosion

Special Guest: Yeghia Tashjian

Resident Panelists:

• Asbed Kotchikian
• Emil Sanamyan
• Alen Zamanyan

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

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Topics:

• Living With Conflict #WordsNotSwords
• Panel Discussion on Robert Kocharyan’s Interview
• Lightning Round
  • The SIS Charges Arthur Danielyan
  • Nominees for the Constitutional Court
  • The PM’s Outlook on the State of the Pandemic
  • Staff Changes in the Diaspora High Commissioner’s Office

Guests This Week:

• Asbed Kotchikian
• Emil Sanamyan
• Alen Zamanyan

Special Guests:

•  Arzu Geybulla 
•  Ulvi Ismayil
•  Dr. Artyom Tonoyan
•  Diana Yayloyan

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

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Topics:

• Panel: War roundup / Artsakh
• Conversation: National Security Doctrine
• Panel: National Security Doctrine

Guests This Week:

• Asbed Kotchikian
• Emil Sanamyan
• Karen Vrtanesyan (special guest)
• Alen Zamanyan

A Conversation with

• Karena Avedissian (special guest)

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

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Safety and Security of Metsamor
Asbed Kotchikian talks with Areg Danagoulian

Topics:

• Azerbaijan’s threat to attack the NPP
• Overall safety and security of the plant
• Safe handling of nuclear fuel
• Renewable energy alternatives to nuclear
• Maintenance and upgrades to the NPP

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