2026 APRI Forum

Sketching the Architecture of Change

Yerevan, Armenia

  • September 23-25, 2026

The best way to predict the future is to design it. 
— R. Buckminster Fuller

Amidst the chaotic fractures of the global order, Yerevan’s figurative and physical landscape is changing. A new layout is emerging. And, paradoxically, in this volatility, Armenians’ reliance on crisis management is being replaced by a more forward-looking confidence. The time to sketch the first drafts of our future has come.

The theme for APRI Armenia’s 2026 Yerevan conference is “Sketching the Architecture of Change.” It will provide a platform for engagement on the fundamental building blocks required to boost Armenians’ agency and secure a sovereign future. 

The 2026 APRI Forum will bring together policy, diplomatic, private sector, civil society leaders and engaged Armenians to investigate the way forward for Armenia in key areas of development. The program will feature multidisciplinary discussions and in-depth keynote sessions with officials and foreign guests throughout the three days.

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Preliminary Program

09:25

Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • Lara Setrakian, President, APRI Armenia

10:00

Fireside Chat: Armenia–US Relations 3.0

Armenia–US relations have reached a new level, entering a particularly dynamic phase in 2025. What Armenia, a small and remote South Caucasus country, has achieved in furthering its partnership with the US in a short time is notable. In this fireside chat, two Armenian thinkers with years of engagement in advancing Armenia–US relations will reflect on efforts to consolidate recent gains and explore a timely question: where does the partnership go from here?

10:30

Fireside Chat: Armenia–Russia Relations: Looking for a Modus Vivendi | Supported by the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund

Amid the growing Russia–West confrontation, Armenia is pursuing Western-focused diversification of its foreign relations, expanding relations with both longstanding and new partners while seeking a safe and constructive transformation of its relations with Moscow. Yerevan’s expanding relations with Washington and particularly with Brussels are viewed negatively by Moscow and have led to economic restrictions on segments of Armenia’s trade. But a new modus vivendi is necessary for both countries to move forward. What can the two countries achieve? What should the new configuration of the relationship look like, considering the changing geopolitical environment, past relations, and geography?

  • Ruslan Pukhov, Director, Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies
  • Moderator: Sergei Melkonian, Research Fellow, APRI Armenia

11:00

Coffee Break

11:30

Fireside Chat: Armenia and Iran: Morphing Relations in a Changing Strategic Environment

The ongoing Iran–US–Israel war has reshaped the Middle East. For the South Caucasus in general, and Armenia in particular, the conflict raises questions about the risk of spillover, the feasibility of regional connectivity projects currently under development, and how to navigate Great Power competition. The session will examine Iran’s strategy toward the South Caucasus and the future of Armenia–Iran relations, as the two countries continue to expand economic, energy, and diplomatic cooperation.

12:00

The Armenia–Azerbaijan–Türkiye Triangle: Breaking the Impasse

Consolidating peace with Azerbaijan, normalizing relations with Türkiye, and unblocking regional communications remain central to Armenia’s foreign policy agenda and to the region’s peaceful future. Yet the momentum generated by the 2025 Washington Summit has slowed, amid Azerbaijan’s insistence on constitutional amendments as a precondition for signing the peace agreement, and Türkiye’s continued linkage of normalization with Armenia to progress in Armenia–Azerbaijan relations. Between Baku’s precondition and Ankara’s Baku-first policy, is there a way to break the circle and bring lasting stability and security to the South Caucasus? And if not, what does the future look like?

  • Ambassador Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, President, Ankara Policy Center and Turkish Atlantic Council Association
  • Vasif Huseynov, Head of Department, Center for Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism (AIR Center) (Zoom)
  • Benyamin Poghosyan, Senior Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
  • Moderator: Anahide Pilibossian, Vice President, Strategy and Development, APRI Armenia

12:45

Strengthening Agency for the South Caucasus Countries Amid Great Power Competition

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the South Caucasus has been a theater of geopolitical and geoeconomic rivalry among multiple external powers. Ethnopolitical conflicts and the differing foreign-policy orientations of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan have contributed to a deeply fragmented region. Today, the South Caucasus is undergoing unprecedented change amid a profound transformation of the global order, the weakening of multilateralism, and a renewed emphasis on hard power. How will Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan fare given their complex geography? How can the three countries claim greater agency and play a more decisive role in shaping their own trajectories, rather than being driven by the interests and rivalries of external powers?

  • Rusif Huseynov, Director, Topchubashov Center (Zoom)
  • Alex Petriashvili, Senior Fellow,  Georgian Foundation for Strategic & International Studies (GFSIS)
  • Benyamin Poghosyan, Senior Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
  • Moderator: Anahide Pilibossian, Vice President, Strategy and Development, APRI Armenia

13:30

Networking Lunch

14:15

Armenia’s Economic Resilience in an Era of Geopolitical Uncertainties

In the context of rapidly changing geopolitical realities and global financial fluctuations, ensuring economic resilience and swiftly responding to newly emerging challenges have become key prerequisites for Armenia’s steady development. In his keynote speech, Martin Galstyan, Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, will address ways to ensure the stability of the country’s economic system, mechanisms for absorbing external shocks, and long-term perspectives on economic growth, sketching the foundation of our economic future.

  • Martin Galstyan, Governor, Central Bank of Armenia
  • Moderator: Anahide Pilibossian, Vice President, Strategy and Development, APRI Armenia

14:45

Defining and Driving Armenia’s Economic Security

The Washington Peace Summit gave Armenia new momentum for economic development by promoting foreign direct investment and fostering economic empowerment. At the same time, it posed fundamental questions about the future of industries operating in Armenia and their alignment with Armenia’s long-term national interests, as laid out in the government’s Doctrine published in January 2026. This cross-industry panel will bring together speakers to discuss how their respective sectors can contribute to strengthening Armenia’s economic security.

  • Hakob Avagyan, President, SME Cooperation Association
  • Vardan Jhanyan, First Deputy General Director, ZCMC
  • Bakur Melkonyan, Co-founder, Art Lunch LLC
  • Moderator: Eduard Mkrtchyan, Vice President, Operations, APRI Armenia

15:30

Growing our Talent, Trees, and Civic Space 

Talent, trees, and civic spaces take time to grow, and their results often become visible only years after the seeds are planted. Yet patiently nurturing talent, creating spaces, building communities, and developing infrastructure are essential to Armenia’s prosperous future. This session is about the patient side of building a country: raising skilled people, greening our cities, and creating public spaces. It is about how investment in people, sustainability, urban development, and innovation can work together to create an environment in which talent can grow, communities can connect, and civic life can flourish—and what it takes to keep doing so in a fast-changing and uncertain world.

  • Vanane Ararktsyan, Executive Director, Keron Development Foundation
  • Katerina Danekina, Chief Executive Officer, Green Rock
  • Aram Salatian, Chairman of Board, Engineering Association 
  • Moderator: Seda Arzumanyan, Vice President, Donor Relations, APRI Armenia

16:15

Reading the Waterscape of Araks: When Borders Become Bridges

“Borders are often seen as lines that separate us. But what if they could instead become spaces of connection? Art, architecture, ecology, and landscape can shape how we experience borders: as barriers or shared spaces. Shifting our outlook on spaces can open new possibilities for bringing people and communities closer, helping us sketch new possibilities for the future in Armenia and the region. Nairi Khatchadourian revisits her talk “Sharing a River, or the Poetics of Relation” and its vision of a bridge connecting Armenia and Iran along the Araks River, in light of the 2026 APRI Forum.

  • Nairi Khatchadourian, Founding Director, Curator, AHA collective

16:30

Coffee Break

16:45

Global Defense Reindustrialization: The Role of Small States and Firms

Growing security challenges are driving countries worldwide to expand defense production, strengthen supply chains, and accelerate innovation. These efforts are not limited to major powers or large defense companies. Smaller states and specialized firms can also contribute through niche manufacturing, software, maintenance, testing, and AI-enabled, autonomous, and data-driven systems. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine, South Korea, and Armenia, the panel will explore how smaller defense industries can identify competitive niches, overcome barriers to finance, procurement, and market access, and become credible partners in broader defense ecosystems.

  • Yeongkyun Jang, Senior Researcher, Korea AI Safety Institute
  • Michael Kofman, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment
  • Leonid Nersisyan, Senior Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
  • Moderator: Anahide Pilibossian, Vice President, Strategy and Development, APRI Armenia

10:30

Fireside Chat: Understanding the EU to Understand Our Future with the EU

2026 has been a landmark year for EU–Armenia relations, starting from the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agenda in December 2025 and continuing with the EU–Armenia bilateral Summit in May 2026 and the launch of the EU Partnership Mission in July. Political will on both sides has driven these achievements, along with broader geopolitical developments affecting regional stability and prosperity. In this fireside chat, Ambassador Delcorde will reflect on the evolving nature of the European project and opportunities for further expanding Yerevan’s relations with Brussels.

  • Ambassador Raoul Delcorde, Ambassador (Ret.), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium
  • Moderator: Anahide Pilibossian, Vice President, Strategy and Development, APRI Armenia

11:00

Bridging Disconnections: The South Caucasus and the New Logistics of Eurasia

Growing geopolitical rivalries, the disruption of supply chains, and the need for economic resilience and diversification have made connectivity a critical feature of the emerging global order. The South Caucasus, a crossroads of East–West and North–South transit routes, is one of the active theaters where these dynamics are playing out. This session will discuss what needs to happen in the South Caucasus for it to facilitate connections between Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

  • Ambassador Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, President, Ankara Policy Center and Turkish Atlantic Council Association
  • Alex Petriashvili, Senior Fellow,  Georgian Foundation for Strategic & International Studies (GFSIS)
  • Moderator: Shant Arzoumanian, Macroeconomist, Central Bank of Armenia

11:45

Coffee Break

14:15

Beyond the Headlines: What Do AI Factories Bring to Armenia?

The establishment of Firebird’s flagship AI factory in August 2026 in Hrazdan, followed by the Eleveight AI factory operating in Gagarin, has been a breakthrough moment for Armenia’s economic development. These big investments come with the promise of a more prosperous future for Armenia’s technology sector and society at large. This intersectional panel will debate what these factories can bring to Armenia—from technological, environmental, and social perspectives—as well as the challenges that must be addressed to realize their full potential. The discussion will help the audience gain a broader, more holistic understanding of the implications of AI factories for Armenia and Armenians.

  • Tigran Jrbashyan, Partner, Director of Management Advisory Services Ameria CJSC
  • Irina Seylanyan, CEO, Afeyan Initiatives for Armenia
  • Tigran Tshorokhyan, Innovation and Sustainable Finance Portfolio Manager, UNDP Armenia
  • Moderator: Nazareth Seferian, Board Member, Impact Hub Yerevan

15:30

Why Armenia? Building a Competitive Technology Nation | A panel in partnership with UATE

Overcoming its small size and structural constraints, and leveraging both its engineering Soviet past and diasporans working in Silicon Valley, Armenia has built a well respected ecosystem of high-tech engineering talent and able technicians. That ecosystem is transitioning from a services-based model toward a more product- and innovation-driven one in line with global shifts driven by artificial intelligence. This raises questions about Armenia’s positioning in the tech landscape. What is distinctly Armenian in high tech? What makes our talent and firms globally competitive? How can the current trajectory be converted into sustained competitiveness, economic value creation, and diplomatic leverage for the country at large? This eminent panel will address these questions and explore the elements of a strategic national vision for building a competitive technology nation.

  • Syuzanna Azoyan, Managing Director, Sada Armenia
  • Armen Kocharyan, CEO & Founder, Spark.work
  • Suzanna Shamakhyan, Executive Director, Foundation for Armenian Science & Technology 
  • Moderator: Edita Ghazaryan, Executive Director, Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE)

16:15

Coffee Break

16:45

Institutionalizing AI Strategy: The Case of the Korea AI Safety Institute

The Korea Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute represents the Republic of Korea in international partnerships aimed at building global AI governance frameworks. It helps Korean AI companies enhance their global competitiveness while strengthening international cooperation and standards for AI safety. This fireside chat will offer an exclusive window into how the Republic of Korea built and institutionalized its AI strategy through the Korea Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute, and what lessons the Armenian government can draw at a time when it is honing its National High Tech Strategy and seeking to build synergies with its diplomatic endeavors.

  • Yeongkyun Jang, Senior Researcher, Korea AI Safety Institute
  • Moderator: Anahit Budaghyan, Tech diplomacy advocate

17:15

Unleashing the Power of Diaspora–Country Connection

This fireside chat will host a conversation between representatives of Armenian diaspora foundations and the founder of the Diaspora Institute, a Dublin-based organization championing diaspora empowerment, to discuss diaspora–homeland connections. In the Armenian context, such debates often center on questions of identity and the nature of ties between the homeland and diaspora communities, with less attention paid to lessons from other diasporas and to the agency diaspora individuals can exercise in contributing to their home country. This panel will explore the role of diasporas as strategic assets for national empowerment and transformation, drawing on lessons from the Irish experience.

  • Vicken Cheterian, Director, Diasporan Perspectives, Gulbenkian Initiative on Armenian Issues, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Zoom)
  • Martin Russell, Co-Founder The Diaspora Institute
  • Moderator: Vasken Yacoubian, President, AGBU Armenia / Member, AGBU Central Board

10:00

Public Administration Reforms: Can Armenia Build its Own Good Governance Model? | Supported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

It is imperative for Armenia to translate its recently announced and ambitious public administration reform (PAR) agenda into reality with measurable results. Doing so requires more than policy commitments and a strategic management framework. It also means addressing fragmented inter-agency coordination, limited capacity for evidence-based policymaking, and weak institutional ownership. Drawing on relevant international experience and adapting lessons to Armenia’s institutional context, this panel will explore how to strengthen good governance, strategic management, civil service performance, and accountability in practice, and how stronger local ownership of the planned PAR strategy can help deliver lasting results.

  • Viktorya Aydinyan, Head of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia
  • Vache Gabrielyan, Dean, College of Business and Economics, AUA
  • Nane Harutyunyan, Public Sector Specialist, World Bank
  • Moderator: Armenak Minasyants, Senior Research Fellow on Public Administration Reforms, APRI Armenia

10:30

Smarter Services, Stronger State | Supported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Digital transformation can improve policy design, public service delivery, and citizen–state interaction. Yet digital tools create value only when they address clear governance needs, protect data, build public trust, and support institutions and civil servants. This panel will explore how responsible digital and artificial intelligence-enabled solutions can help build more citizen-centered, responsive, and resilient public services, while ensuring safe, ethical, accountable, and locally owned implementation through cooperation between public institutions and the private sector. It will consider what Armenia needs to do to make digital transformation work for citizens and the state.

  • Andres Kütt, CTO, Proud Engineers
  • Nayiri Shorjian, Governance and Policy Innovation Lead, UNDP Armenia SDG Innovation Lab
  • Nerses Yeritsyan, Chairman, Information Systems Authority
  • Moderator: Armenak Minasyants, Senior Research Fellow on Public Administration Reforms, APRI Armenia

11:15

Coffee Break

11:45

Beyond the Stereotype: Armenian Youth as Civic Stakeholders

Conventional wisdom loads expectations on the young generation as agents of positive change. But this stereotype hides a complex reality for Armenian youth, with a mix of emerging civic leaders and evidence of political apathy. This panel, drawing on the advocacy and research work of its speakers, will explore how Armenia can move beyond symbolic inclusion and create spaces where young people are heard, trusted, and empowered to contribute to civic thinking.

  • Arpy Manusyan, President and Researcher, Socioscope
  • Yuri Movsesyan, Project manager, Restart Civic-Youth Foundation
  • Narek Ohanyan, Climate & Environmental Researcher, AUA Acopian Center for the Environment
  • Moderator: Greta Avetisyan, National Communications Lead, APRI Armenia

12:30

Rethinking Armenian Civil Society Organizations’ Watchdog Function

Civil society organizations (CSOs) play an important watchdog role in advancing civic debate, encouraging public engagement, and holding public institutions accountable to reforms. In Armenia, this role has been important since independence and remains so as the government works to meet international commitments requiring transparency, monitoring, and effective implementation. Bringing together perspectives from education, the environment, justice and anti-corruption, this panel will explore the evolving role of CSOs in civic debates and relations with state institutions, and the ways in which CSOs can monitor reform implementation, identify gaps, engage constructively with institutions, and build public trust—especially as civic space faces growing pressure.

  • Shamam Gevorgyan, Founding Director, 405 Educational Alliance
  • Marina Mkhitaryan, Director for Strategic Partnerships and Impact, Armenia Tree Project
  • Hasmik Harutyunyan, Lawyer, legal expert, Protection of Rights Without Borders
  • Moderator: Anahide Pilibossian, Vice President, Strategy and Development, APRI Armenia
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Speaker Name
Lara Setrakian
Affiliation
President, APRI Armenia
Bio
Lara Setrakian is an international journalist and the President of APRI Armenia. She oversees the organization’s strategic vision, partnerships, and research agenda. Lara is a graduate of Harvard University and an alumni fellow of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She is also a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Her work focuses on advancing regional stability, sustainable prosperity, and civic engagement in the South Caucasus. She is also the Co-Founder of News Deeply, an innovative digital media company focused on critical global issues, now in partnership with The New Humanitarian.
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Lara Setrakian
President, APRI Armenia
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Speaker Name
Martin Russell
Affiliation
Co-Founder, The Diaspora Institute
Bio
Martin is Co-Founder of The Diaspora Institute (TDI). TDI’s team has contributed to diaspora engagement in approximately 60 countries. He holds a PhD from University College Dublin, where his research focused on the role of the Irish diaspora in the Northern Ireland Peace Process through diaspora media, diaspora philanthropy, and diaspora politics. He was previously a Visiting Fellow at the United Nations University—Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) and is currently a member of the Transition Assistance Practice Group of the Institute for Integrated Transitions. He also serves on the steering committee of a new four-year Diaspora Diplomacy Research Project at Dublin City University (DCU) funded by Research Ireland and serves on the advisory board of a select number of diaspora organisations globally. In 2022, he advised on the Global Diaspora Summit, co-hosted by the Government of Ireland and the United Nations. In recent months, he has been an advisor to the Government of Ireland in the development of their new national diaspora strategy.
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Martin Russell
Co-Founder, The Diaspora Institute
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Speaker Name
Vicken Cheterian
Affiliation
Director, Diasporan Perspectives, Gulbenkian Initiative on Armenian Issues, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Bio
Vicken Cheterian is a Lecturer in History and International Relations at The University of Geneva. He is also the director of the think tank Diasporan Perspectives —the Gulbenkian Initiative on Armenian Issues. He is the author of War and Peace in the Caucasus: Russia’s Troubled Frontier (2009), and Open Wounds: Armenians, Turks and a Century of Genocide (2015).
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Vicken Cheterian
Director, Diasporan Perspectives, Gulbenkian Initiative on Armenian Issues, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
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Speaker Name
Vasif Huseynov
Affiliation
Head of Department, Center for Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism
Bio
Dr. Vasif Huseynov is the Head of the Western Studies Department at the Center for Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) in Baku, Azerbaijan, and serves as Adjunct Professor at Khazar University and ADA University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration in Azerbaijan, holds a Master of Arts in Global Political Economy from the University of Kassel (Germany), and has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Göttingen (Germany). His MA and PhD studies were fully funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Huseynov has authored a monograph titled “Geopolitical Rivalries in the ‘Common Neighborhood’: Russia’s Conflict with the West, Soft Power, and Neoclassical Realism” (Ibidem Press, 2019; distributed by Columbia University), along with numerous peer-reviewed articles and policy papers. His research focuses on EU–Azerbaijan relations and international security in the South Caucasus.
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Vasif Huseynov
Head of Department, Center for Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism
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Speaker Name
Nairi Khatchadourian
Affiliation
Founding Director, Curator, AHA collective
Bio
Nairi Khatchadourian is a Paris-born curator, art historian, and Founding Director of AHA collective, an independent curatorial practice rooted in Armenia since 2019. AHA works at the intersection of contemporary art, publishing, critical museology, and placemaking. Khatchadourian has curated more than thirty exhibitions in Armenia and internationally, and edited a dozen catalogs on Armenian contemporary art, design, and cultural heritage. Since 2024, a gallery has operated within the curatorial practice in Yerevan. Khatchadourian is the initiator of the Araks River Bridge-Museum, a long-term cross-border initiative emerging from Meghri to establish a binational contemporary art institution between Armenia and Iran. Conceived around the shared waterscape of the Araks River, the bridge-museum explores how cultural, architectural, and ecological infrastructure can foster regional cooperation, strengthen civic agency, and inspire new cross-border imaginaries and diplomacies.
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Nairi Khatchadourian
Founding Director, Curator, AHA collective
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Speaker Name
Benyamin Poghosyan
Affiliation
Senior Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
Bio
Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan joined APRI Armenia as a Senior Research Fellow in January 2023. He was Vice President for Research – Head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense Research University in Armenia from August 2016 to February 2019. He joined Institute for National Strategic Studies (predecessor of NDRU) in March 2009 as a Research Fellow and was appointed as INSS Deputy Director for research in November 2010. During his job at the only Armenian state think tank dealing with Armenian foreign policy and regional and international security, Dr. Poghosyan has prepared and supervised the elaboration of more than 100 policy papers that were presented to the political-military leadership of Armenia, including the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Since 2009 Dr. Poghosyan, as a speaker, has participated in more than 150 international conferences and workshops on regional and international security dynamics. His primary research areas are the geopolitics of the South Caucasus and the Middle East, Armenia – India relations as well as implications of Russia – West confrontation for the region. He is the author of more than 250 Academic papers and OP-EDs published in leading Armenian and international journals. In 2013 Dr. Poghosyan was a Distinguished Research Fellow at the US National Defense University College of International Security Affairs and was a graduate of the US State Department “Study of the US Institutes for Scholars 2012 Program” on US National Security Policy Making. He holds a Ph.D. in History and is a graduate of the 2006 Tavitian Program on International Relations at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
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Benyamin Poghosyan
Senior Research Fellow, APRI Armenia
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Speaker Name
Rusif Huseynov
Affiliation
Director, Topchubashov Center
Bio
Rusif Huseynov is the Director of the Topchubashov Center, a Baku-based think tank. His work focuses on sociopolitical developments, frozen conflicts, and ethnic minorities in post-Soviet countries, with particular attention to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Huseynov holds a Bachelor’s degree from Baku State University and a Master’s degree from the University of Tartu. He has been a ReThink.CEE fellow (2021) at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Local Focal Point within the EU4Dialogue project, and a Think Visegrad fellow (2025). He regularly publishes commentary and provides interviews for various international media outlets.
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Rusif Huseynov
Director, Topchubashov Center
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Speaker Name
Nerses Yeritsyan
Affiliation
Chairman, Information Systems Authority
Bio
Nerses Yeritsyan has served as Chair of the Commission for the Regulation of Information Systems since March 2026. He holds a PhD in Economics and is a senior executive with extensive experience in public administration and financial and economic policy. From 2023 to 2026, he served as Director of the Information Systems Agency Foundation of Armenia and, since 2022, has been Secretary of its Board of Trustees. From 2010 to 2022, he was Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia. Previously, Yeritsyan served as Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and represented Armenia at international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He also founded and headed the Central Bank’s Monetary Policy Department and the Financial Monitoring Center. He is a graduate of the Armenian State University of Economics and completed a leadership program at Columbia University.
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Nerses Yeritsyan
Chairman, Information Systems Authority
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Speaker Name
Nayiri Shorjian
Affiliation
Governance and Policy Innovation Lead, UNDP Armenia SDG Innovation Lab
Bio
Nayiri Shorjian is a public-sector innovation leader working at the intersection of governance transformation, artificial intelligence, and participatory policymaking. At UNDP Armenia’s SDG Innovation Lab, she leads strategic initiatives that help government institutions turn complex reform ambitions into practical policy, institutional, and service innovations—from shaping Armenia’s AI Strategic Framework and AI Literacy Policy Framework to designing innovation portfolios across governance and social policy. Her work bridges systems thinking, design-led research, and experimentation with the practical realities of institutional capability-building, focusing on how digital and AI-enabled tools can strengthen—rather than substitute for—sound governance, data protection, and public trust. She has also advanced innovative financing and results-based programming that connect public-sector reform to measurable, sustainable outcomes.
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Nayiri Shorjian
Governance and Policy Innovation Lead, UNDP Armenia SDG Innovation Lab
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Speaker Name
Marina Mkhitaryan
Affiliation
Director for Strategic Partnerships and Impact, Armenia Tree Project
Bio
Marina Mkhitaryan is a social innovator and transformative leader with a background in international development. In 2025, she joined the Armenia Tree Project as Director for Strategic Partnerships and Impact. Prior to this, she served for nearly four years as CEO of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Armenia. Mkhitaryan is also a Design Thinking consultant for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Observatory of Public Sector Innovation and GIZ Armenia. Earlier in her career, she managed the Eastern Partnership portfolio of the Open Government Partnership (Brussels) and co-founded Kolba Lab, Armenia’s first social innovation incubator under the UNDP. She is also a Co-Founder of the Kiraki Development Foundation, a local social startup advancing innovative solutions across multiple sectors. Mkhitaryan holds dual degrees in Philology and Law from Yerevan State University and a postgraduate certificate from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.
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Marina Mkhitaryan
Director for Strategic Partnerships and Impact, Armenia Tree Project
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Speaker Name
Shamam Gevorgyan
Affiliation
Founding Director, 405 Educational Alliance
Bio
Shamam Gevorgyan is the Founding Director of the 405 Educational Alliance, a coalition of leading educational organizations—including Ayb, Teach For Armenia, TUMO, FAST, AGBU Armenia, AMAA Armenia, and the Armenian Educational Foundation—working to strengthen education in Armenia through collaboration, research, and policy engagement. With extensive experience in education advocacy and strategic development, she leads the Alliance’s efforts to connect educational practice with evidence-based policymaking. Under her leadership, 405 has made educational policy and public oversight a strategic priority, bringing together experts and institutions to conduct research, develop policy recommendations, and foster dialogue between civil society and government stakeholders. Through research, advocacy, and collective action, 405 contributes to systemic educational reform and stronger accountability in Armenia’s education sector.
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Shamam Gevorgyan
Founding Director, 405 Educational Alliance
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Speaker Name
Hasmik Harutyunyan
Affiliation
Lawyer, Legal Expert, Protection of Rights without Borders
Bio
Hasmik Harutyunyan is a legal expert specializing in human rights and the justice system. Since 2012, she has worked as a Legal Expert at the NGO Protection of Rights without Borders. She has extensive experience in human rights protection and advocacy, as well as expertise in the justice system and experience in teaching.
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Hasmik Harutyunyan
Lawyer, Legal Expert, Protection of Rights without Borders

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