Alumni of the Tavitian Scholarship Program at Fletcher: Where They Are Now

By Alex Avaneszadeh, Project Manager, Fletcher Russia and Eurasia Program

The Tavitian Scholarship Program in Public Policy and Administration is one the longest-standing executive education programs at The Fletcher School. Established in 1999 by the late Armenian-American philanthropist Aso Tavitian, the program aims to expand and enhance the diplomatic skill set of Armenian government officials and international relations professionals. Since its inception, the program has evolved to include education in international business, economics, finance, law, and security. 

Since their time at Fletcher, many Tavitian Scholars have gone on to pursue careers within the Armenian government and in the private and non-profit sectors. They attribute much of their professional success to the stong academic foundation established during their time in the program.

“Fletcher, for me, was a culture of education, networking, tolerance, striving for excellence, and sharing achievements and results. It was the excellent professors and assistants and the wonderful lectures and practical sessions on contemporary global developments, whether in public finance, regional politics, international law, or other areas. Fletcher excelled in all these fields with its pool of top specialists,” said Davit Nahapetyan, Board Member of the Central Bank of Armenia.

Nahapetyan attended Fletcher in 2010, where he focused on public policy and public administration. After his graduation from the Tavitian Scholarship Program, “the Governor of the Central Bank expressed his hope that upon my return I would be able to lead management reforms at the bank…and [I] was tasked with leading the public procurement reform project. As a result, I quickly received a promotion and was appointed Chief of Staff, later becoming the bank’s Secretary General.” 

In Armenia’s diplomatic corps, the current ambassador to the Baltic States, Ara Margarian, was a part of the first group of Tavitian Scholars to arrive at Fletcher in 1999. “Our group’s performance very much helped Aso Tavitian make the decision to continue the program,” which led to “many of us continuing our careers in the foreign ministry, becoming diplomatic ambassadors around the world,” said Margarian.

Prior to his arrival at Fletcher, Margarian had already received an education at the Russian Diplomatic Academy in Moscow in 1996. “Coming to Boston and Fletcher opened a new perspective for me… Personally, it was very exciting because I was… having this opportunity to compare how I was taught in the Russian Diplomatic Academy to the American school of diplomacy,” he said. “All of this would not have happened without the vision of Aso Tavitian. He was an exemplary personality, a very devoted American, but also a devoted Armenian,” the ambassador concluded.

Anahit Manasyan, another former Tavitian Scholar, worked as the Deputy Prosecutor General of Armenia before her current role as the Human Rights Defender (ombudsperson) of the Republic of Armenia. She noted, “The education at The Fletcher School contributed a lot to my professional growth. The negotiation skills, as well as the skills gained from courses such as Analytic Frameworks for Public Policy Decisions, International Law, Human Rights Law, etc., greatly contributed to the development of my professional image.”

Armen Ghazaryan, the current Head of Migration and Citizenship Service of Armenia, similarly credited Fletcher as a significant catalyst in the development of his government career. “The Tavitian Scholarship Program was designed with three important components: law, economy, and politics. All these components were of great importance in my professional career, especially as a public servant and head of office. Overall, the program greatly expanded my worldview and moved me to look at issues from a larger perspective,” Ghazaryan stated.

Taron Simonyan, lawyer and 2009 Tavitian Scholar, founded the Armenian Centre of International and Comparative Law in Yerevan, Armenia in 2010. Simonyan’s background includes academic and political positions in Armenia, with significant involvement in international legal and political affairs in both governmental and non-governmental capacities. 

“My studies at The Fletcher School and the experience I received continue to accompany me to this day. I can say for sure that the professors and the atmosphere of The Fletcher School have impacted my scientific and practical legal experience,” Simonyan declared. 

Simonyan said, “I’ve been feeling the existence of the Fletcher practice in my professional activity when I founded ELL Partnership Law Firm in 2011, co-founded the Arbitrators’ Association of the Republic of Armenia in 2017, the Association of the Mediators of Armenia in 2017, was nominated as the National Correspondent of the Republic of Armenia at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and elected as a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in 2018.”

However, the most crucial lesson Simonyan took from Fletcher was the mission he inherited from Aso Tavitian, which was “to support the education of other young people, as I supported you: pay it forward.” Simonyan has tried to realize this mission since 2015, when his law firm started to give scholarships to students at Yerevan State University.

In 2008, the Tavitian Scholarship Program expanded its enrollment qualifications to include those from Armenia’s non-governmental sectors. Marina Mkhitaryan was a portfolio manager at an international organization in Armenia when she joined the program in 2008. She now heads the Armenian General Benevolent Union Office (AGBU) in Armenia, a non-profit focusing on the development of culture, education, socio-economic development, and humanitarian relief, with initiatives in both the Armenia diaspora and the Republic. 

Mkhitaryan recalled, “At that time, international law was seen as a romantic vision of a global order. We were inspired by the idea of an equal seat at the table for small states. One of our favorite classes was ‘The Diplomacy of Small States’ with Professor [Alan] Henrikson. The last decade has tested these visions, but we still believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Mkhitaryan referenced the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 as a turning point in her perspective on international law. “The displacement of the Armenian population of Artsakh and the destruction of religious and cultural monuments profoundly shook my personal values and beliefs. I left my international organization roles and returned to Armenia to lead the AGBU office. With a 117-year history and chapters in over 40 countries, AGBU connects me to the epicenter of my nation’s historical moments. Tavitian’s name frequently comes up in AGBU’s strategic discussions. And today, we see an urgent need to nurture a new generation of educated leaders in public administration.”

Over the last 25 years, the Tavitian Scholarship Program has had a lasting and permanent impact on all its alumni. The legacy of Aso Tavitian, the program’s visionary and founder, lives on in each Tavitian Scholar. With the goal of empowering Armenia’s public servants and non-governmental actors, the program continues to fundamentally empower Armenian political and civic life.