"The greatest effort was overcoming myself": YSU student Aram Galstyan named best bachelor's student in IT

Although the award is in the field of IT, Aram's professional path has developed at the intersection of physics, engineering thinking, programming and research. For him, the award is not only recognition of years of work, but also the starting point for new goals.

The greatest effort was overcoming myself...

The competition result came as a surprise to Aram, although the path to the award had required years of work and, as he puts it, above all, a willingness to overcome himself.

"The win came as a surprise because I hadn't expected it. At the same time, there were other talented and intelligent students with me on the day of the interview, and I understood that the competition was very strong. On the other hand, I was very happy because this award was recognition of many years of work," he says.

The achievement, however, was preceded not only by years of study, but also by the need to overcome his own doubts. For Aram, the first and most important step was deciding to apply for the competition.

"The first step was having the courage to apply. I had to collect all the documents, review them and understand my strengths and weaknesses, think about how I could stand out, what to talk about during the interview and how to present myself — from what to wear to the questions I might be asked. I would say the greatest effort was overcoming myself and telling myself that I had to apply," he says.

Aram views the award as a responsibility to continue the projects and plans he has already begun.

"This award is the best motivation to continue the projects and plans I have started, because it gives exceptional recognition to that work. I now have a great responsibility to live up to the status of a recipient of this educational award. Looking at the current achievements of previous years' winners, I can say that I still have a great deal to do," Aram notes.

From physics to technology...

Aram is a fourth-year student in the "Physics" bachelor's program at the YSU Institute of Physics. For him, his choice of field was also a logical continuation of the engineering education he received in high school.

"Before applying to university, I was considering several fields, but I ultimately chose physics because it was the logical continuation of the engineering track at the Polytechnic High School," he says.

His interest in information technology had developed even earlier, while he was still in high school. During those years, Aram had the opportunity to study robotics, electronics, telecommunications and programming. Today, these interests come together in his research work. Aram carried out one of his projects at Uppsala University in Sweden, where he worked on classifying signals from particles using neural networks.

International experience: from new knowledge to independence...

Programs completed abroad hold a special place among Aram's academic and professional achievements. He participated in two Erasmus+ exchange programs, studying at the University of Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Uppsala University in Sweden. In addition, he took part in a short-term research program at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, where he worked with Ani Aprahamian, former Director of the A. I. Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory.

"The programs abroad were particularly valuable because they gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons, learn to organize my life while living alone in a foreign environment, become acquainted with other cultures and, at the same time, present myself to others as an Armenian student," he notes.

For Aram, international experience is not only about acquiring professional knowledge. It is also an opportunity to become more independent, navigate new environments and communicate with people from different cultures.

YSU: environment of knowledge and challenges...

According to Aram, YSU has played a key role in his professional development.

"YSU has given me the fundamental knowledge that has been essential throughout all my experiences. YSU has also been the place where I met people, students and professionals who helped shape the person I am today, my mindset of always being willing to try, and my love of learning," he says. 

At the same time, his university years have not always been easy. The tension before exams, presentations of important projects and the challenges associated with them have been an integral part of Aram's student life.

"YSU has also been the place where I have gone through difficult days, both before exams and before presenting important projects. Yet these very challenges have prepared me best for presenting myself on the international stage," he emphasizes. 

Among his most memorable university experiences, Aram also highlights his organizational work within the Student Scientific Society (SSS). According to him, the SSS is not only about science: many of the best moments of his student years have been spent with fellow SSS members. 

One particularly memorable experience for Aram was a panel discussion he organized at the end of his first year, bringing together professionals in the field for a discussion on education.

"It was very impressive for me to realize that I had managed to bring all the participating students together," he recalls.

"A successful IT professional should be able to find a solution when no way out is apparent..." 

Speaking about the qualities needed to succeed in IT, Aram emphasizes not only technical knowledge but also creative thinking.

"One thing that distinguishes IT professionals is the ability to think outside the box. A successful professional should be able to find a solution even when no way out is apparent. In such cases, in-depth technical knowledge is often not enough, and creative thinking comes to the professional's aid," he says.

Aram believes this is also why many IT professionals are able to succeed in fields in which they initially have no fundamental knowledge.

He views the current pace of development of Armenia's IT sector positively, noting that Armenia is one of the region's major IT hubs and continues to expand its opportunities.

"As a student in this field, I can say that Armenia is opening many doors that may offer promising opportunities," he notes.

Next stop: new research...

Aram's plans for the near future are quite extensive. Several of them have already begun this summer.  He applied to a number of summer schools and short-term research programs and received fully funded invitations to participate in two of them. One was a physics summer school at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, and the other was the Machine Learning Summer School at the Petnica Science Center in Serbia. 

One of his longer-term goals is to begin a new research project with the prospect of publishing the results in the future. Aram is currently specializing in biophysics as part of the relevant academic program.

He does not rule out pursuing international academic opportunities, but his long-term goal is to put his knowledge and skills at the service of Armenia.

"After studying abroad, I had the opportunity to meet a number of scientists who are conducting unique, cutting-edge and innovative research in physics and related fields. It would be a great honor to work under the scientific supervision of such people. However, my ultimate goal is to return to Armenia immediately after completing my studies and put my knowledge and skills to use for our country," Aram emphasizes.

Results do not come overnight...

Aram's advice to students who want to succeed in IT is simple: keep trying and be patient.

"Results do not come overnight, but if you keep trying, you will certainly succeed. It is important to move beyond the stereotype that some people simply do not have mathematical thinking. Everything comes down to making an effort," he stresses.

The YSU student believes that university education should be viewed as a foundation of knowledge on which students must independently build their professional paths.

"I would advise students not to limit themselves to university education, because it is only the cornerstone of their knowledge, on which they must build their future. In addition to technical skills, soft skills are extremely important — knowledge of languages and communication skills, which are no less important for succeeding in IT," he emphasizes.