"Diaspora" summer school was launched for the fifth time on July 4, in YSU big hall by the joint initiative of the RA Ministry of Diaspora and Yerevan State University. “Diaspora” Summer School program includes the following 5 courses: “Intensive Armenian Language Course”, “Training course of Armenian Language and History Teachers and Educational Mission Organizers”, “Young Leaders and Community Activities Organizers course”, “Training course for Journalists”, and "National Music and Dance course". It should be noted that this year the school is attended by about 140 participants from 25 countries. Cultural events, visits to historical and cultural sites of Armenia, meetings with state, public, cultural figures and religious leaders will be organized, in addition to the planned theoretical and practical lessons.

The event began with the opening speech of Minister of Diaspora, Hranush Hakobyan. Welcoming those presents, the organizers and teachers, the Minister congratulated the fifth jubilee of "Diaspora" summer school and noted, “I am proud and happy that on the 25th anniversary of the independence of Armenia and Artsakh, we are honored to host our compatriots again. I thank the participants from different communities of Diaspora, who attach great importance to education and arrived in Armenia to receive  knowledge and then transfer it to future generations. You are the part of the history of our 5 year-old school. You enrich it by your presence. I congratulate you all and wish you many years of fruitful work. I wish we all would study and work with great dedication”. 

The Minister also expressed gratitude to the entire Diaspora, which came together during those April days, shared the feelings, pain and supported Artsakh, the Armenian army.

 A welcoming speech was delivered also by the Minister of Education and Science, Levon Mkrtchyan. He expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Diaspora and Yerevan State University, who make every effort to preserve Armenian identity in the Diaspora, maintain the purity of the native language. He thanked the participants, who enthusiastically participate in this program, trying to transfer the knowledge they gained to their communities. “For me it is a very important initiative, because every year in the summer, we have an opportunity to strengthen the ties between our Motherland and the Diaspora. It creates a great opportunity for Armenian young people from different countries to actively communicate and cooperate. We all know that the Diaspora was formed and supported by three important structures - school, community and church. This program allows us to better understand the specifics of each community, problems, intellectual potential, and try to assess their activities in this way", - said Mkrtchyan.   

Levon Mkrtchyan also stressed another important factor - more and more memebers of Armenian communities participate in this program. According to him, in 2016 a large number of teachers arrived in Armenia from around the world to participate in training program and stressed the active participation especially of  Armenian community of Istanbul.

YSU Rector Aram Simonyan, in his turn, thanked the RA Ministry of Diaspora for the implementation of summer school with YSU. "When 5 years ago this project started, many were skeptical about it. But thanks to our joint efforts it is now firmly established. You see the progress of school from an organizational point of view and the increase of number of participants each year. A. Simonyan also touched upon the issues of preservation of Armenian identity in the Diaspora, stressing that the summer school is aimed at strengthening the national identity. 

The official ceremony of the event was followed by a concert, which was organized by YSU Cultural Center. The students of the cultural center, as well as the national song and dance ensemble, "Karin" headed by Gagik Ginosyan and others performed at the concert.