Syunik plays a historically important geopolitical role in ensuring and guaranteeing the national security of Armenia and the Armenian people. After the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan continues to threaten and make territorial claims on Yerevan, Sevan and especially Syunik.
It is the responsibility of the Armenian youth to strengthen the resilient spirit of the people of Syunik, to combat pan-Turkic ideology and to fight against the defeatist policies of the Armenian authorities.
In light of the above, and especially in the context of the “Towards Syunik” program, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Youth Office, in collaboration with the Nikol Aghbalyan Student Association, has launched a competition for research papers dedicated to Syunik’s geopolitical importance, security, demographic and youth-related issues. The ARF Youth Office urges 18 to 27 year-old students living in Armenia or in the diaspora to participate in the preparation of these papers.
The research papers should focus on the following topics (new topics may be proposed):
- Syunik in light of the 20th century’s developments (historical review)
- Syunik’s security challenges (i.e. border, internal and external security) and prospects for addressing them
- The geopolitical position and role of Syunik in the process of countering pan-Turkism agendas
- Policies pursued by the current authorities of Armenia in relation to Syunik’s problems
- Syunik-Diaspora relations
- Demographic, economic and agricultural mapping of Syunik, relevant challenges and potential solutions
- Approaches to increase public attention on Syunik
- Syunik in Armenia’s foreign policy
- Syunik’s historical and cultural heritage
The research papers may be submitted in Armenian or English and will be reviewed by a panel composed of:
– Tatos Avetisyan, member of the RA National Assembly, economist
– Tereza Yerimyan, Director of Government Affairs, Armenian National Committee of America
– Kevork Hagopjian, international law expert, Vienna
– Meline Anumian, historian, Turkologist, Yerevan
– Yeghia Tashjian, political analyst, researcher, Weekly columnist, Beirut
Finalists will receive scholarships and will have the opportunity to travel to Syunik and present their papers. In addition to the finalists, the remaining students who do not receive an award but are endorsed by the review panel will be published on social media and in the press.
Documents can be submitted through this online form. Deadline is October 15, 2021. The results will be published on October 31, 2021. For more information or inquiries, please contact: [email protected].