TUMO launches new institute dedicated to Armenian cultural heritage

(Horizon Weekly) – TUMO Center for Creative Technologies has announced the launch of the Armenian Cultural Heritage Institute, a new initiative aimed at safeguarding Armenian heritage while making it accessible for education, research, and creative use in the digital age.

The Institute was founded by TUMO CEO Marie Lou Papazian and emerges from years of work carried out under the Armenian Heritage Scanning Project, which TUMO began in 2020. That project laid the groundwork for large scale digital documentation of Armenian heritage sites using advanced scanning and modeling technologies.

TUMO is widely known as an innovative nonprofit education center that provides free, project based learning to young people in areas such as programming, design, animation, and digital media. With campuses in Armenia and internationally, TUMO has become a global reference point for combining technology, creativity, and social impact. The creation of the Armenian Cultural Heritage Institute expands this model beyond education, applying the same technological and creative expertise to cultural preservation.

Under the leadership of General Director Hulé Kechichian, the Institute approaches heritage as a dynamic and living resource rather than a static historical record. Its goal is not only to protect the past, but to reinterpret it in ways that encourage new cultural expression and engagement.

Central to this effort is the Institute’s newly launched open access digital platform. Through the platform, users can freely explore detailed three dimensional models of heritage sites in Armenia and Artsakh, examine architectural and artistic features up close, and access historical information for academic study, learning, and creative inspiration.

The Institute’s work extends beyond digital modeling. It is also building a broader heritage ecosystem that includes the collection of oral histories connected to cultural sites and communities, the documentation of traditions, and the preservation of acoustic and musical heritage. Education remains a core component of the mission, with programs designed to train future specialists and community members to actively protect and engage with Armenian heritage.

By emphasizing accessibility, innovation, and participation, the Armenian Cultural Heritage Institute aims to keep cultural memory alive and relevant. Through its open access approach, the Institute seeks to ensure that Armenian heritage remains a shared public resource, a cultural right, and a foundation for future creative work.