The tenth Armenian Internet Governance School, ArmSIG 2026, was held in Alaverdi under the theme “Digital Literacy and Safety in the Age of AI.”
Over two days, more than 30 residents from six communities in Lori Province had the opportunity to hear from leading experts in the field and discuss the opportunities and risks of AI, personal data protection, cyber hygiene, the safe use of social media platforms, and practical ways to stay safer in everyday digital life.
People of different ages and professional backgrounds, including school students, education professionals, and representatives of civil society, as well as the private and public sectors, gained up-to-date and practical knowledge at ArmSIG.
But what did participants find particularly useful, and what topics would they like to see explored further? Here is what the ArmSIG2026 participants had to say.
Vergine Simonyan
Head of the DGTL Department, advertising agency
“It was an opportunity to gain essential knowledge for maintaining a safe presence in the digital environment. It is especially encouraging that this opportunity was made available to residents of the region.”
Armine Mnatsakanyan
Lecturer at Vanadzor State Polytechnic College
“ArmSIG gave me ideas for new topics to introduce to my students. I will participate in the next school and will recommend it to my colleagues as well.”
Sofi Tamazyan
Student at the secondary school in Shnogh, Lori
“I received answers to many very relevant questions about cybersecurity. For example, I will enable two-factor authentication. I would be happy to participate in the next ArmSIG if I have the opportunity.”
Aspram Amirjanyan
Director of “Hekiat” Nursery-Kindergarten, Alaverdi Community
“It was much more useful than I expected. I was particularly interested in looking at the protection of personal data and children’s rights from a legal perspective. This will help us organize our work more effectively with both employees and parents.”
Susanna Bektashyan
Student at H. Meliksetyan Secondary School in Shnogh, Lori
“My most important takeaway was that there is no need to be afraid of the development of AI. These tools are created by people as computational tools. Instead of avoiding them, it is better to learn how to use them correctly.”
Armine Papyan
Director of the Shnogh Culture House, Lori
“I learned a lot of information that was new to me. I will now feel more confident using AI tools, as their risks and benefits were presented clearly. I would be happy to participate in next year’s Internet Governance School. It is very important to organize such programs in the regions.”
Lusine Simonyan
Director of the Child Development Foundation
“It is essential to constantly expand and update our knowledge. I am glad that ArmSIG provided this opportunity. Participants came from schools, kindergartens, foundations, and civil society organizations. I am confident that we will all share the new information with our colleagues and apply it in our daily lives. Moreover, I hope that there will be opportunities for further cooperation with the organizers of ArmSIG.”
