ARF Bureau Office of Youth Affairs Launches ‘Armenian Students for Artsakh’ Research Call

The ARF Bureau Office of Youth Affairs is pleased to announce the launch of a new research call titled “Armenian Students for Artsakh” program. The program aims to harness the potential of Armenian students worldwide in support of the Artsakh front. We are initiating this program in light of the critical period that Artsakh is currently experiencing and the pressing need to utilize the academic and professional skills of Armenian students and scholars for the greater Armenian cause, particularly in relation to Artsakh.
The program aims to bring together the professional capacity of Armenian students across various disciplines such as political science, economics, social sciences, legal, culture, and investigative journalism. The objective is to make their research available for effective use by influential institutions involved in pro-Armenian activities.
We invite students aged 20-35 from Armenia, Artsakh, and the Diaspora to participate in this program. The participants’ work will be supervised by renowned mentors.
To apply, please complete the application form and submit the accompanying explanatory notes by July 31st, 2023, through the following studentsforartsakh.am
The deadline for submission is October 1st, 2023.
The following materials and mentors are planned for the program:
Materials:
·   The destructive impact of the blockade of Artsakh on the rights and mental state of the children of Artsakh
Gegham Stepanyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh
·   Blockade of the Berdzor Corridor as a war crime, from the International Law perspective
Siranush Sahakian, Head of the Armenian Center for International and Comparative Law
·   Azerbaijan’s Caviar Diplomacy in Europe
Heghineh Evinian – Director of European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
·   The Aliyev family and Azerbaijan’s foreign investments and manifestations of corruption
Harout Sassounian, editor-in-chief of the California Courier newspaper
·   The importance of the implementation of sanctions against Azerbaijan
Aram Hamparian, Director of the ANCA Office in Washington
·   Azerbaijan’s Energy Policy with Russia and the West
Yeghia Tashjian – researcher at the American University of Beirut.
·       The nation to an army system ideology in Armenia and Artsakh
Former Deputy Supreme Commander, Lieutenant General Tiran Khachatryan
·   Relations between Azerbaijan and Israel
Shahan Kandaharian, Editor-in-Chief of Beirut Aztag Daily.
·   National minorities of Azerbaijan
Edgar Elbakyan, Co-founder of the Armenian Project
·   Azerbaijan’s relations with region powers
Abraham Gasparyan, founding director of Genesis Armenia Center.
·   Azerbaijan’s political and academic attempts to distort history
Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Artsakh, Lernik Hovhannisyan.
·   The potential of unconventional water resources in Artsakh
Hovsep Der Kevorkian, ARF Bureau member and water resources specialist
·   The urgent necessity to preserve spiritual and non material heritage of Artsakh
Father Garegin Hambardzumyan, director of Artsakh’s spiritual and cultural heritage preservation office in the Mother sea of Holy Etchmiadzin
·   Possibilities of increasing the resilience of the Artsakh’s economy
Suren Parsyan, ARF Bureau Economic Research Office director
·   The importance of involving international humanitarian organizations in Artsakh
Vicken Ashkarian, collaborator at International Organization for Humanitarian Aid
·   Armenian humanitarian assistance to Artsakh Armenians after the 44 day war
Lilit Martirosyan, Chairwomen of ARS Artsakh
·   Artsakh issue on the agenda of International Organizations
Mario Nalbandian, Member of the Central Council of the ARF Hye Tahd, Socialist International Vice President
The white papers will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
·        Modernity
·        Feasibility significance
·        Research work capacity
·        Objective basis of the work
·        Compliance with technical requirements
It is encouraged to enter the program either individually or in groups of up to three students.
All participants will receive symbolic gifts. The research papers will be evaluated by a panel of mentors. Each selected winner will be rewarded with scholarships as follows: first place – $1000 USD, second place – $750 USD, and third place – $500 USD.
At the conclusion of the competition, an online conference will be organized to present the best white papers to the public. Each research paper will be published in newspapers in Armenia and the Diaspora.
The competition results will be announced on November 1st, 2023.