The Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Armenia will implement a pilot program in 2020 that envisages involving professional specialists from the diaspora to improve various spheres of state governance in the Republic of Armenia. Armenpress reports.
Karen Avanesyan, head of the Administration of European Armenian Communities at the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of the Prime Minister’s Staff, stated that the program’s goal is to invest the experience and knowledge of competitive diaspora specialists in Armenia’s development, to promote Armenia-diaspora cooperation, and to contribute to the “brain return.”
“Previously, we have approached state bodies. Each has a need for different specialists — economists, lawyers, information technology specialists, sociologists, and so on. When we make the announcement at the program’s launch, there will be an online registration form where applicants will choose the workplace they desire,” said Karen Avanesyan.
Within the program’s framework, diaspora Armenian specialists will mainly be invited to work in Armenia’s state bodies in the direction of conducting sectoral research and studies, developing and implementing relevant priority programs and strategies. Diaspora Armenian specialists holding a master’s degree or higher may apply to the program.
The program will start on 1 July 2020 and will last 12 months. The implementation costs of the program will be covered by the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Armenia for participants, specifically airfare (to Armenia and back), and accommodation.
“These specialists will be paid, but it will not be a salary, rather for daily expenses. Those who wish to make their professional contribution to Armenia’s development, this is a good opportunity for them,” he said. This year’s program is pilot and is currently envisaged for a maximum of 20 people.
The procedure for selecting specialists will be carried out in two stages. In the first stage, all applications will be reviewed, and only those applications that meet the program’s requirements will proceed to the next stage. In the second stage, program participants will be selected, and their final selection will be made through an interview.
“The state bodies that have presented vacancies will choose the participants as employees. That part we leave more to the department. I think it is a good opportunity not only to make a professional contribution in the homeland, but also to live for a year, get acquainted with the conditions, understand whether they want to continue their activity here or not,” added Karen Avanesyan.
The High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs will disseminate the announcement regarding the program in the near future.
Anna Gziryan
