YEREVAN, Armenia, October 30, 2010 - Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS), a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing, today announced that approximately 500 volunteers – including employees of Synopsys Armenia CJSC, members of their families and students of the Synopsys Armenia Educational Department (SAED) – planted more than 600 thuya evergreen bushes and ash, golden rain and poplar trees on the Tsitsernakaberd Hill of Yerevan. The planting took place along one of the main alleys leading to the Genocide Museum and in the public park that occupies the hill next to the PYUNIC disabled people organization.
The event was arranged with the help of the Synopsys Community Volunteer Program and was sponsored by the Synopsys for Armenia Charitable Foundation. The Armenia Tree Project Charitable Foundation (ATP) supported the event by providing young trees and bushes from its Karin and Khachpar nurseries. ATP also prepared the planting plots and will monitor the planted trees as they grow.
Among those taking an active part in the planting were: Synopsys President and Chief Operating Officer Chi-Foon Chan, Synopsys VP of Corporate Marketing and Strategic Alliances and Synopsys Armenia CEO Rich Goldman, Synopsys Armenia Director Hovik Musayelyan, Deputy Director Andrew Hovhannisyan, ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian, ATP Yerevan Director Mher Sadoyan, ATP Associate Director Areg Maghakian, ATP Forestry Director Zachary Parisa and ATP community tree planting staff.
Since Synopsys Armenia was first established in November 2004, the company has made a significant investment towards the research and development of technology products in Armenia, as well as toward its new site in Yerevan. The company strives to be a good corporate citizen and continuously contributes to the progress of Armenian society by helping to improve the country’s educational system, and by implementing other assistance programs through its Armenia-based Synopsys for Armenia Charitable Foundation.
“Community involvement is a core value for Synopsys,” said Chi-Foon Chan. “As a good corporate citizen, Synopsys Armenia feels responsibility to take care of the environment in Armenia. Community involvement also directly benefits Synopsys because this is where our employees and families live.”
“Synopsys is demonstrating a real commitment to corporate social responsibility by helping to create a green and thriving environment in Armenia. I hope other corporations and the Armenian public will be inspired to follow their lead and ensure a sustainable future for coming generations,” said Jeff Masarjian, ATP executive director.
“Our annual tree planting is one of my favorite events because I know how much it means to the city of Yerevan,” said Rich Goldman, vice president of corporate marketing and strategic alliances at Synopsys, and CEO of Synopsys Armenia. “This year we were able to plant 50 percent more trees than we have in previous years due to the contributions of our new employees from Virage Logic. They also understand the importance of community involvement and were instrumental in helping us increase the positive impact of this special event.”
“The annual volunteer tree planting event has become a well-received tradition and a way for Synopsys’ community volunteers to help combat the environmental impact of the mass deforestation that occurred in Armenia during wartime from 1991 to1994,” said Synopsys’ Deputy Director Andrew Hovhannisyan. “I am proud that this initiative speaks to the minds and hearts of our engineers and their families who understand the importance of planting trees for the environment. I also would like to thank the Armenia Tree Project for being a great partner to Synopsys through the years. I look forward to more joint tree planting projects in the future.”
“At the Synopsys Armenia Educational Department I not only attained professional knowledge, I learned the importance of corporate citizenship,” said Ruzanna Chakhmakhchyan, a previous SAED student and now a Synopsys Armenia employee. “Starting in 2008, I have participated every year in the Synopsys tree planting with great pleasure and consider them to be a very important activity in my life. As a student I was hired by Virage Logic and it was only a short time before I joined Synopsys Armenia. Synopsys Armenia is like a big family that not only takes care of each other, but of the surrounding community and environment.”
Synopsys consistently promotes the importance of corporate social responsibility. Planting trees has become an annual tradition for Synopsys Armenia, with employees planting more than 400 trees each year. This year marks the sixth Synopsys tree planting event in Yerevan. Synopsys planted trees in Viasphere Technopark in 2005, Victory Park in 2006, Tsitsernakaberd Park in 2007, on a hillside of Nor Nork district of Yerevan in 2008, and in the central park of Yerevan’s Malatia-Sebastia district (near the recently built Holy Trinity Church) in 2009. During these years, a total of more than 2,000 trees have been planted. Employees view tree planting as a key contribution towards reducing air pollution in Yerevan and renewing its green segment.
About Armenia Tree Project (ATP Charitable Foundation)
Armenia Tree Project (ATP Charitable Foundation), a non-profit program based in Watertown and Yerevan, conducts vitally important environmental projects in Armenia’s impoverished and deforested zones and seeks support in advancing its reforestation mission. Since 1994, ATP has made enormous strides in combating desertification in the biologically diverse but threatened Caucasus region. Armenia Tree Project has planted and restored more than 3,500,000 trees at over 800 sites around the country and created hundreds of jobs for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration programs. The organization’s three tiered initiatives are tree planting, community development, and environmental education. Contacts: ATP Charitable Foundation, ARMENIA TREE PROJECT, 57/5 Arshakunyats Ave., Yerevan 0026, Armenia. Tel.: (374 10) 447401/447402. Tel/Fax: (374 10) 447726. Website: www.armeniatree.org
About the Synopsys for Armenia Charitable Foundation
The Synopsys for Armenia Charitable Foundation was established in July of 2005. It supports Synopsys’ R&D operations in Armenia through a number of educational and social initiatives. Its activities are divided into two sections: educational and social. The Foundation’s educational programs include support to all Synopsys educational programs for ongoing professional engineering education, conducted in cooperation with major Armenia universities. The Foundation also funds the RA Presidential Awards for the best students in the IT sector and sponsors various IT-related contests targeting students and young professionals. The foundation’s social activities primarily assist the local communities.
About Synopsys Armenia CJSC and Synopsys, Inc.
Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in electronic design automation (EDA), supplying the global electronics market with a comprehensive, integrated portfolio of software, intellectual property (IP) and services used in semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing. Synopsys established its presence in Armenia in 2004, after Armenia declared information technology (IT) as a priority business for the country. Since then, Synopsys Armenia closed joint stock company (CJSC) has become an important Synopsys site, providing R&D and product support in EDA, design for manufacturing (DFM) and the development of semiconductor intellectual property (IP). The company employs several hundred qualified Armenian engineers and is one of largest IT employers in Armenia. To help provide Armenia with highly qualified IT specialists, Synopsys Armenia invests locally in IT education and is engaged in a number of successful cooperation programs with major Armenian universities such as Yerevan State University (YSU), State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), American University of Armenia (AUA), Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State University, and the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technologies (MIET). The company consistently promotes public interest in the high tech industry by sponsoring Presidential Awards for the best students in IT and contests among young specialists and students, and engages the broader community through charity work and volunteer activities. Synopsys Armenia CJSC is located in Yerevan. Synopsys, Inc. is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has approximately 70 offices located throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Visit Synopsys, Inc. and Synopsys Armenia online at http://www.synopsys.com and http://www.synopsys.am.
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Synopsys is a registered trademark of Synopsys, Inc. Any other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.
Editorial Contacts:
Gayane Markosyan
Synopsys Armenia
(374 10) 492-356
(374 91) 292-302
