NEW YORK/YEREVAN — Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) announces the FAR Graduate Research Center at Armenia’s Institute of Botany, home to the country’s first-ever master’s program in Biodiversity and Conservation. This milestone was made possible through the support of Ara Cherchian as part of FAR’s STEM for Rural Armenia initiative. Since its launch in 2021, this program has aimed to transform STEM education for children in Armenia’s remote regions, offering hands-on learning with scientists, summer camps, modernized school labs, and teacher training.
The new Graduate Research Center is set to play a transformative role, empowering young researchers to explore critical topics like Armenia’s wildlife, plant life and climate change. Their work will pave the way for impactful discoveries and policies that protect Armenia’s biodiversity.
“Until now, the Institute of Botany has been focused solely on research, and we didn’t have a proper educational facility,” explains Alla Aleksanyan, Head of the Department of Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Studies of the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia. “Now, with this new, state-of-the-art center funded and renovated by FAR, we finally have a space designed for education. This will not only enhance the learning experience but also inspire more students to pursue studies in biodiversity and conservation.”
Already, six students have enrolled in the program, including Marianna Sargsyan, a mother of two displaced from Artsakh. With the help of FAR’s Mathevosian Scholarship, Marianna is now pursuing her Master’s degree. “I never thought I could join this program. The financial burden of rent and daily expenses made tuition impossible to afford. This scholarship has given me the chance to follow my dreams,” she said with her eyes sparkling with pride.
Within the STEM project, FAR has already established the Eco Education Center at Yerevan Botanical Garden, a space designed for science and eco-focused events and summer camps for children from both urban and rural areas.
“When working with schoolchildren from Syunik and Tavush, we saw incredible talent and curiosity,” shared Eduard Karapetyan, FAR’s Education and Science Programs Director. “With initiatives like these, we hope to spark an even greater passion for research and project-based learning among Armenia’s next generation of scientists.”
