Dilijan Education Cluster

Dilijan Education Cluster

Executive Summary Dilijan Educational Cluster (DEC) is a strategic program that will have a transformational effect on the education system in Armenia and become a regional center for teaching excellence and educational innovation Education is a key sector to develop Armenia Armenia 2020 and 2030 initiatives identified education as one of the key focus sectors for Armenia to unlock productivity and spur economic growth DEC is a pilot program to implement modern yet proven education methods and practices such as best-in-class teacher selection and an interdisciplinary approach Dilijan is a natural place to develop educational innovation DEC is an important component of a massive redevelopment program undertaken by the Dilijan Development Fund that focuses on tourism, urban redevelopment, education and the healthcare sectors Dilijan is already a regional education hub with a number of new projects launched in the last decade such as the Central Bank Research and Training Center, UWC Dilijan, Ayb School, TUMO Center, American University of Armenia graduate programs DEC to be launched in September 2018 Co-locating private and the public schools with enhanced infrastructures will allow the implementation of effective reforms, transforming Armenian education DEC will be launched in September 2018 by incorporating an Armenian-language public high school with innovative curriculum on UWC Dilijan premises to test the publicprivate partnership and joint governance model In parallel, planning, design and construction work for the larger Cluster will be undertaken by the founding partners, which will culminate in new education facilities opening doors to over 3,000 in 2018-2021 $340M of capital investment over 5 years, from which $47M will be financed by the government Donors and partners, 86% 293 47 $340M Government, 14% A $300M endowment fund is targeted to finance operations continuously and sustainably in the long term Over 3,000 in K-12, arts, technical colleges, and graduate programs Open and inclusive, governed by an umbrella Coordination Council Public-private partnership model supported by special legislation 2

Vision of the Dilijan Educational Cluster We envisage the Cluster as pioneering high quality education at all levels and in fields of knowledge and practice across STEM, music, art and the humanities. Shared benefits: Educational synergies Shared endowment Coordinated governance Special regulation framework The Cluster will become an open platform for sharing expertise between all the components of the cluster, as well as a methodological center for the design and implementation of educational innovations. Technical colleges, teachers college and graduate programs are an integral part of DEC to help fill a critical gap in demand for qualified young specialists in the most dynamic sectors in Armenia and the larger region, including IT, construction, engineering, and healthcare. Partners Music College 50 Kindergarten 250 children Music school* 300 Art Academy 50 Primary School 500 Art school* 300 Sports School* 500 High School 150 Middle School 500 UWC 400 (200 currently) Operating since 2014 400 2 year programs Technical colleges 1,000 5 programs IT Construction Engineering Healthcare Tourism Graduate programs 2 year programs 4 departments Teachers college Shared infrastructure: library, performing arts center, community center, dining halls and cafes, dorms, urban development * Extracurricular classes will be taken by who attend cluster programs as well as children from other Dilijan schools 3

DEC Map UWC Dormitory & Staff Housing Fine Arts Center Music School & College Dance School Technical College New Pedestrian Bridges Football Field Park Performing Arts Center & Dining Hall Middle School Dormitory & Staff Housing Sports Facility Community Center & Library Parking Garage Church Elementary School Kindergarten Middle School Graduate Programs Teachers Сollege 4

Dilijan Vision Dilijan is a unique town with a rich multi-cultural heritage set amongst a spectacular natural scenery Situated within the Dilijan National Park, halfway between Yerevan and Tbilisi, Dilijan is one of the most important resorts in Armenia favored by artists, composers, and filmmakers for its beauty, spring waters, and unique microclimate In 2016, Dilijan was included in UNESCO s Global Network of Learning Cities We believe that Dilijan has the potential to become the Davos of the Caucasus, a dynamic center of education, culture and recreation RVVZ and philanthropist Gagik Adibekyan set up a special non-profit urban development vehicle, Dilijan Development Fund (DDF), and committed to invest $50 million into the town s roads, embankment, lake, sports facilities, and other infrastructure DDF has already invested $15M. The redevelopment program will be augmented through dedicated fundraising campaign targeting total commitments of $200M DDF aims to improve the quality of urban infrastructure and services, preserve the cultural and historical heritage, and stimulate the active engagement of the urban community in the educational, cultural and social life of the city GEORGIA Dilijan ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN Additionally, a number of partner organizations, including the Central Bank of Armenia, have invested substantially in the development of Dilijan as the Armenian city of knowledge, culture and recreation Asian Development Bank is contemplating investments of up to $50M in Dilijan s transportation system and public utilities The Armenian government has identified Dilijan as a priority area for development. A special law On the City of Dilijan was adopted in 2015 to foster private investment and economic development TURKEY Yerevan IRAN 5

Dilijan s Recent Private Educational Initiatives Several innovative educational organizations have been established in Dilijan in the last decade such as UWC Dilijan, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, Ayb School (Dilijan Central School), AUA and the Central Bank Training and Research Center An international co-educational boarding school, UWC Dilijan opened its doors to its first in August 2014. The IDeA Foundation together with over 50 partners and donors have already invested $140M in construction and over $10M in scholarship expenses as of November 2016 Currently home to 198 from 72 countries State-of-the-art learning spaces and environmentally friendly facilities Many of the 2016-alumni have gone on to study at leading universities worldwide such as Yale, Columbia, UCL, Duke, Queen Mary University of London, Warwick, Berkley, The University of Edinburgh, and many more Ayb Foundation, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Armenia, opened the Dilijan Central School as a basic school (with its elementary and middle components) in September 2013. 118 (27 from CBA staff families, 91 from the local community) 4,500 sqm of learning environment in newly constructed, fully equipped buildings Araratian Baccalaureate new educational platform was introduced Financed by CBA, fully operated by Ayb Foundation American University of Armenia launched the Master of Science in Economics (MSE) program in 2013 in cooperation with the Research and Training Centre of the CBA in Dilijan. The Central Bank of Armenia has invested about $90M* in Dilijan research and educational projects since 2011 Central Bank Training and Research Center in Dilijan hosts 40% of MSE courses Many full time staff at the Central Bank of Armenia are enrolled in the AUA MSE program * Оценка IDeA, открытые данные отсутствуют 6

Present and Future of Education in Dilijan Existing public schools Recent private educational initiatives Dilijan Educational Cluster 7

DEC is a Platform for Innovations in Education DEC will become a laboratory for replicating proven global innovative education methodologies in Armenia The Cluster will serve as a platform for sharing educational expertise both internally within DEC and externally with other educational organizations in Armenia and in the region. Integrating the public educational system with the DEC can only be realized through a public-private governance model to allow for greater autonomy in teacher selection and development, curriculum, and management structure The innovations will begin in September 2018 in an Armenian-language pilot high school with an innovative curriculum, to be located at the UWC Dilijan premises. World s Best Education Systems Improving the quality of teachers is the key factor behind improving quality of education with tangible results seen everywhere from Finland to Korea to Massachusetts Rigorous selection of candidates, targeting top-tier graduates from Armenia and abroad Implementing quality training programs for teachers; regular assessments Providing access to leading international professional networks Innovative teaching methods Offering competitive salaries to teachers (current level is 2-3x below other sectors) Implementing innovative educational approaches Individualised educational programs focused on, their talents and needs Emphasis on experiential / project-based learning Interdisciplinary approach Holistic view of the individual and his/her development Developing global outlook while keeping local identity Creating an ecosystem Sharing best practice and ideas within teacher community and beyond Creating interdisciplinary courses and integrating them into the educational process Achieving economy of scale Creating a unique international and inspirational educational environment Sharing campus space and facilities which encourages communication between cluster participants 8

DEC Economic Impact DEC will have a massive economic impact on the Armenian economy both in the short- and long-term DEC will have a significant impact on the regional economy In the long-term, DEC will have a cumulative socio-economic impact of over $1B $340M direct contribution to CAPEX $200M indirect and induced economic benefits 250 highly skilled permanent jobs and 350 other jobs About 4,000 temporary jobs during construction period $1 spent in secondary school typically generates over $10 in cumulative economic benefits for the student generation over the lifetime (2) Increase in the share of spending on education by 1 percentage point results in 0.2% higher average GDP growth per annum (3) DEC is designed to be relevant to the needs of the local and regional economy About 35% of employers in Armenia mentioned that inadequately educated workforce is a problem (1) Armenian IT sector alone currently needs about 2,000 skilled graduates and the gap is growing in parallel with the sector (over 20% p.a.) Technical colleges and graduate programs are integral to DEC and will produce about 700 skilled professionals for the most dynamic IT, hospitality, construction, and engineering sectors Quality schools will make Dilijan an attractive place to live and do business Our vision for Dilijan includes a massive development of healthcare and touristic sectors which will require thousands of professionals to relocate from Yerevan and from abroad DEC will become a compelling part of the town s appeal for the workforce to relocate to Dilijan 9 (1) World Bank Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey, 2012 (2) UNESCO, 2012 (3) Acosta-Ormaechea and Morozumi, 2013

DEC Governance DEC will establish a governance system following the best international standards and approaches Each institution of the education cluster is governed by a separate having the regular authority to appoint school directors, decide on education policies and approaches, approve annual plans and budgets Dilijan Education Cluster is envisaged to become an open platform for educational projects and initiatives in Dilijan and Armenia, where new partners joining the cluster retain their existing governance structure The public educational system components of DEC will be set up within a public-private partnership framework which will require a special regulatory framework The government of Armenia is expected to provide full support at every level as already done for UWC Dilijan, Ayb, AUA, TUMO DEC will consolidate fundraising efforts at the umbrella level and proactively help with fundraising at the level of each component DEC will be implemented through charity legal vehicles in Armenia, UK, and the U.S. 501(c)3 entities Kindergarten and primary school Public Schools Middle school Music school and college DEC Coordination Council Private Institutions UWC Dilijan Ayb The Coordination Council will enable effective interaction between the DEC components and will be composed of: Founding partners nominated by the Boards of of each component Leading international education experts and practitioners State and local government officials (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, Tavush Province, Administration of Dilijan) AUA 10

Preliminary Roll-out Plan The soft components of the Cluster including innovative education methods, governance and public-private partnership model will be implemented in a pilot project starting September 2018. The physical facilities of the Cluster will be constructed in 2018-2021 following a carefully designed roll-out plan: Build facilities for of younger ages first to make the transition to new educational models more seamless and minimize possible disruption in educational process Relocate existing public schools as early as practically possible due to poor and unsafe conditions of the facilities Facilities not yet designed will be built later Facilities located close to each other will be built simultaneously if possible Education Infrastructure 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 $M TOTAL OPEX* 1.0 4.1 5.3 6.4 7.7 24.4 CAPEX 12.2** 91.2 120.4 38.7 53.0 315.5 TOTAL 13.2 95.3 125.7 45.1 60.7 339.9 Kindergarten (3-6 yo) Primary and middle school Pilot High School UWC dorms Middle school dorms Dining hall Performing arts center Music school & college Arts school & college Sports school Dorms for art & music colleges Parking garage Technical colleges Музыкальная школа и колледж Library Community center Graduate programs Dorms for graduate Faculty housing * Excluding UWC Dilijan operating costs General city infrastructure: roads, utilities pipelines, etc. ** Includes design and architecture costs ($2.2M) and land acquisition costs ($10M) 11