13:50,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia's Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs announces the launch of the iGorts 2023 program, which invites Diaspora Armenian professionals to serve in Armenia’s and Artsakh’s government for a duration of one year.

Following an application and interview process, Diaspora professionals will be placed in state agencies across different sectors in need of their expertise․ The selected participants will contribute to the improvement and the development of programs and policies within state institutions.

Everyone interested in joining the program can apply by April 5th.

iGorts director Hermine Harutyunyan said at a press conference that the main goal of the program is to foster professional repatriation and the development of public administration system bodies.

“I can proudly say that over 60% of participants stay in Armenia,” Harutyunyan said, citing results from the past years. “This is the fourth round. The application forms are available on the website of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs. All Diaspora-Armenians interested in the program who want to invest their professional skills in Armenia can apply,” Harutyunyan said.

Ani Harutyunyan is an iGorts fellow. She repatriated to Armenia after living in Russia for 15 years. Ani Harutyunyan now works for the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. Harutyunyan holds two degrees, one in journalism and one in art history.

“I now work at the contemporary art department of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. I mostly deal with monitoring and research. iGorts is a highly important experience, it is a big opportunity for someone who’s received education abroad. By working here, you realize how much you can be useful for your homeland,” Harutyunyan said.

Most applications come from Russia, USA, Lebanon, France, Germany and most recently also from Argentina.