Nobel Prize laureates Ben Feringa and Frederic Stoddart were present at YSMU . The professors are renowned scientists in the field of chemistry. The Trio, composed of Ben Ferguson, Frederic Stoddart and Jean-Pierre Suwage, won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work on the design and synthesis of molecular chains in 2016.
YSMU Rector Armen Muradyan welcomed the guests and announced that it is a truly memorable day for YSMU, as world-renowned scientists are visiting the University, who will also deliver graduation diplomas to the first graduates of Hospital Administration Master’s Program. He wished the graduates to become effective and successful managers. According to the rector’s estimation, the medical university is becoming more and more popular with its success every day, and in this respect the visit of world-renowned partners is more important. The number of Nobel Prize Laureates who visited YSMU reached 7, as two years ago 5 laureates had attended the medical university: scientists who conducted open lectures on biochemistry, physics and medicine in the Medical University (in April 2016, biologists Aaron Ciacaner (Israel), Ada Jonath (Israel), chemist and physicist Dan Sechthman (Israel), dresser John Robin Warren (Australia)) and chemist Etienne Negis (Japan)).
The head of the university also stated that respected guests were nominated by the Nomination board and awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of YSMU by the decision of the Scientific Council. The list of Honorary Doctors is expanding, but here, according to the tradition, only the names of individuals who really make a great contribution not only to Armenian but also to global health or medical developments are entered.
As we have mentioned, the day was particularly significant because Nobel Prize winners also participated in the ceremony of awarding the first graduates of Hospital Administration Master’s Program. Head of “Management Mix” Company Raffi Semerjyan also welcomed 25 graduates and guests of the previous year. It should be noted that the Master’s is implemented in collaboration with this consulting organization.
Semerjyan emphasized that the goal of the program is to create a new management mentality in Armenia and make this initiative one of the newest and most up-to-date educational programs in the world. Mihran Nazaretyan, the first minister of healthcare of independent Armenia, also welcomed the Alumni and the Nobel Prize winners, and hoped that the program alumni would succeed in completing the organizers’ gap in the health sector. Upon the completion of official ceremony, renowned professors delivered a lecture that gave students, as well as lecturers an opportunity to learn about their work in the field of science, which is largely related to current and future molecular chains and their application capabilities.
Ben Feringa emphasized the great importance of believing in one’s own strengths among young people, as well as the desire to achieve new success through imagination and diligence.
It should be mentioned that the visit to YSMU became possible thanks to Susanna Harutyunyan, an Armenian professor at the Groningen University of the Netherlands, who initiated the collaboration between Groningen University and Yerevan State University, so that with the support of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, International Chemistry Conference (ArmChemFront 2018) was organized; it took place in Yerevan, on October 22-25.
Syuzanna Harutyunyan also welcomed the guests of the event held at YSMU. As part of the conference, 22 prominent scientists, including two Nobel Prize winners and participants of the EU Horizon 2020 were invited to Armenia. More than one hundred scientists from all over the world participated in the conference.
The comprehensive program of the conference also includes lectures by invited scientists, where the latest developments in the field are presented. The main purpose of the Symposium is to provide Armenian scientists, especially the younger generation, with the opportunity to get acquainted with the best practices in the field, using different quality and innovative methods in their work.
The most important message of the conference is the need for development of chemistry in Armenia, in line with the needs and conditions of our country and the scientific achievements of the world.