The Regional Studies Center (RSC) is pleased to welcome the latest group of researchers in our “RSC Resident Fellowship” program. Our new team includes four recently-selected Fellows:
Ms. Avnik Melikian, a multilingual researcher focusing on international relations, conflict mediation and geopolitics, with a specific expertise on Iran and the broader Middle East. Fluent in Farsi, Ms. Melikian holds a BA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Yerevan State University and has also studied political economy and conflict analysis at Charles University in Prague. Active in civil society, she is a member of the academic council of the European Youth Parliament and has also been engaged in the Armenia UN Association and Save the Children activities in Armenia.
Ms. Armine Sahakyan is a research analyst focusing on Armenia-EU relations, as well as the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) programme and the European Neighbuorhood Policy (ENP). With a BA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Yerevan State University, Ms. Sahakyan has also worked at the AEGEE-Yerevan European Students Forum and has held an internship with the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s Policy Planning Department.
Ms. Lusine Vardanyan is conducting a comprehensive analysis of Armenian relations with the European Union (EU) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). A native of Moscow, Ms. Vardanyan is currently a graduate student in social sciences at the Philipps-Universitat Marburg in Germany. A fluent German-speaker, she has previously worked in the private sector in Germany and has interned at the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung office in Moscow.
Ms. Kima Khachatryan is a career civil servant now working as a specialist in the Armenian Ministry of Justice, as well as an Armenian representative at the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and Information Society. With additional experience as a journalist, Ms. Khachatryan has also worked for Hetq online and Public Television of Armenia. She holds an MA in International Relations from the Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences.
Background
As an independent “think tank” based in Yerevan, the Regional Studies Center (RSC) offers a unique opportunity for young scholars and professionals to engage in the public policy process in Armenia through our research “Fellowship” program. Although fairly competitive in the selection process, with a limited number of positions, the RSC offers both a Resident and Non-Resident Fellowship program.
The RSC research Fellowship is a voluntary, non-paid position, which entails a modest and flexible level of activity, with a choice of participating in any of our research topics, projects and activities. We seek to utilize and leverage the specific and unique professional, academic and personal expertise, accomplishments and interests of each of our Fellows, and rely on their strategic guidance, general support and participation in our research, projects and activities.
For the Resident Fellowship, we host visiting scholars, young professionals or policy analysts based in Armenia. Similar to a “guest scholar” program, we offer institutional and logistical support for Resident Fellows, providing office space, computer and Internet access, as well as support and guidance for their field research, including an offer to both publish and host public lectures, workshops and seminars, depending on each Fellow’s individual needs.
Beyond strategic research and policy analysis, the RSC also develops initiatives aimed at bolstering political and economic reform and conflict resolution in the broader South Caucasus region. Moreover, since our establishment in 2012, the RSC strives to elevate the level of political discourse and deepen civic activism while broadening engagement in the public policy process. In this way, the RSC partners with various actors and decision makers, including state bodies and government institutions, international organizations, and other civil society organizations, as well as the private sector and academia.