On November 5, one of Armenia’s largest and most anticipated educational events, the Koreez 2026 Awards Ceremony, took place. This year, more than 40,000 students and teachers participated in the competitions. For USUM School, this major educational event was marked by outstanding achievements: 13 of our students returned with awards in different categories, once again demonstrating their high level of knowledge and the results of their consistent hard work.
Koreez is a nationwide educational platform and competition that has become one of the significant events in Armenia’s educational landscape in recent years. It brings together students of different age groups, teachers, and schools, fostering a passion for learning, healthy competition, and continuous development. One of the project’s key features is that it not only assesses students’ knowledge but also recognizes teachers’ contributions and strengthens the educational community.
The history of Koreez dates back to 2020, when it was launched by the team behind the Dasaran educational programme. From the very beginning, the project aimed to make education more engaging and appealing, combine learning with game-based elements, and create a platform where students could discover and demonstrate their knowledge and abilities. The first nationwide competition, held in 2021, brought together more than 6,300 students from 734 schools in Armenia and Artsakh. On October 30 of the same year, the first major awards ceremony took place, establishing a tradition of publicly recognizing the achievements of students and teachers.
In the years that followed, Koreez continued to expand its activities by introducing new subject areas and educational initiatives and engaging an increasing number of partners and participants. Through its gamified learning approach, it has evolved into more than just a knowledge assessment platform: it has become a space for self-expression, discovering new opportunities, and developing the educational community.
The competition follows a multi-stage format. Participants first complete online rounds, with the highest-performing students advancing to the in-person semifinal and final stages. Special attention is also given to teachers’ professional achievements and contributions.
Turning to Koreez 2026, USUM students achieved particularly impressive results in the Koreez–Telcell–PhysMath competition, which assesses mathematical knowledge and logical reasoning. Daniel Sargsyan, Lina Manvelyan, and Davit Nazaryan took third place. Hayk Aloev, Maria Tonoyan, and Mher Ghazaryan secured second place, while Edgar Tirtzvyan, Elina Gyulasaryan, and Sargis Sargsyan claimed first place.
In the English-language competition, The Magic of English, Mikael Grigoryan took first place, while Maria Grigoryan received third place. In the Armenian-language competition, We Are Our Language, Tatev Harutyunyan secured second place, and Mariam Ghazaryan took third place.
Beyond the award-winning results, several other USUM students also distinguished themselves in the earlier rounds, ranking among the top ten and advancing to the semifinal and final stages. In the mathematics competition, Avet Manvelyan, Narek Manukyan, Tatev Harutyunyan, Ruben Kirakosyan, Davit Gevorgyan, and Vane Melikjanyan were among the top ten participants. Vahe Tokhatlyan, Davit Mkrtchyan, Alexander Harutyunyan, and Areg Gevorgyan also participated in various stages of the competition. In the English competition, Mari Zmboyan made it into the top ten, while Mariam Ghazaryan also achieved an excellent result in the Armenian-language competition, receiving a third-degree award.
Behind these achievements lies the dedicated work of our teachers, who also distinguished themselves through individual accomplishments. Anna Smbatyan, USUM School’s Geography teacher and Deputy Principal for Extracurricular Affairs, was among the top ten finalists in the Teacher of the Year category. Liana Hovakimyan, an elementary school teacher, received a Best Teacher Diploma.
The teachers who participated in the competition and prepared our students included Liana Hovakimyan, Lusine Khachatryan, Hasmik Nazaryan, Arpine Manucharyan, Zaruhi Sargsyan, Hasmik Ghukasyan, Nona Manasyan, Suzanna Jahukyan, Hripsime Hovhannisyan, Haykanush Gharibyan, Kima Sargsyan, and Anna Smbatyan. Each of them played an important role in strengthening students’ knowledge, developing their abilities, and supporting them throughout the different stages of the competition.
Koreez is about much more than awards and rankings. It offers students an opportunity to test their knowledge, discover their potential, tackle challenging tasks, and confidently face new challenges. The competition’s multi-stage format requires not only subject-specific knowledge but also concentration, quick thinking, and the ability to make independent decisions.
In conclusion, this year’s results once again demonstrate that a passion for knowledge, consistent effort, and teachers’ dedication lead to tangible achievements. They reflect our students’ diligence and determination, our teachers’ professional commitment, and the power of independent thinking. After all, to think unfreely is not to think at all.
To not think freely is to not think at all!
