Armenia, with 96% of its terrirtory covered by mountains, has a population of some three million, but the Armenian diaspora amounts to about 10 million people who have had to leave the mountainous homeland to seek opportunities abroad.
Many do find opportunities at home. A Ucom manager who obtained her master's degree in Greece, chose to return home. She told us how she had to travel six hours for a trip back to her hometow, which is some 50 kilometers away from the capital city of Yerevan, while studying in college.
The emergence of digital economy has given her the opportunity to work at the present firm. But she said that many Armenians studying and working abroad usually have to split their incomes into three parts: their own tuition fees, living expenses, and sums sent back to their families in Armenia.
Armenia and Taiwan seem similar in some ways. Both countries have powerful neighbors: Armenia and Turkey are separated by Mt Ararat, while Taiwan's major rival China lies across the strait.
Armenia may be lacking the kind of tech development experience that Taiwan is proud of, but the island nation in East Asia seems to be gradually losing the kind of ambition and vibrancy that the landlocked South Caucasus country is showing in the face of challenges.
(Editor's note: This is part of a series of stories about the IT industry development in Armenia.)