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12/12/2025 Joyce Cummings Center- Tufts University, Medford, MA The Tavitian Scholars Program students from the Fletcher Graduate School of Global Affairs at Tufts University held their Certificate Award Ceremony at the Joyce Cummings Center on Friday, December 12, 2025. Photos by Jake Belcher
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Another Cohort of Tavitian Scholars Completes Term at Fletcher

by
Alin K. Gregorian
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MEDFORD, Mass. — For the 23rd time, a cohort of 16 mid-career officials from Armenia completed its semester-long course of study at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, in a program sponsored by the Tavitian Foundation.

The group, which had started the course in September, graduated from the program on December 12 at a ceremony held at Tufts University’s Joyce Cummings Center at Tufts.

Fletcher’s dean, Kelly Sims Gallagher, paid tribute to the students when she opened the graduation program. “I want to acknowledge your dedication, your resilience, your professionalism throughout a very fast-paced academic program,” said.

Gallagher noted that the students had helped put together a celebration of Armenia’s independence anniversary in September.

12/12/2025 Joyce Cummings Center- Tufts University, Medford, MA
Joyce and Ara Barsam with Lilit Seyranyan (Jake W. Belcher Photo)

The 16 participants hail from different sectors in the government, representing public policy and public administration are selected every year. (Covid interrupted the program). To qualify for consideration, each participant must have a minimum of five years’ work experience on issues of public policy and public administration at Armenian ministries and other government bodies.

The most recent participants were: Marine Avagyan, head of the Individual Complaints Analysis Division, Constitutional Court of Armenia; Araksya Babikyan, third secretary, Division of the United Nations and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia; Hovhannes Gevorgyan, advisor to the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia; Satik Ghimoyan, head of the Legal Department, Competition Protection Commission of Armenia; Mkhitar Grigoryan, head of the Operational and IT Risk Assessment Team, Central Bank of Armenia; Aelita Hakobyan, chief specialist, Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Armenia; Andranik Harutyunyan, acting head of the Africa Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia; Narek Karapetyan, head of Fiscal and Monetary Policies Coordination Division, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Armenia; Diana Karazyan, deputy head of the Office of the Representative of Armenia on International Legal Matters; Tigranuhi Khalafyan, head of Public Servants Conduct Oversight Department, Corruption Prevention Commission; Sara Melkonyan, Lecturer and Researcher, Yerevan State University; Arman Melkumyan, second secretary in the Council of Europe Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia; Seda Paronikyan, advisor, Legal Support Department, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia; Lilit Seyranyan, chief specialist at the Office of the Representative on International Legal Matters, Prime Minister’s Office of Armenia; Lilit Shaboyan, spokesperson for the Minister, Ministry of Economy of Armenia and Mikael Ter-Melikian, acting head of the Central and Southern America Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

Lilit Seyranyan and Araksya Babikyan (Jake W. Belcher Photo)
Words of Appreciation from Tavitian Scholars Lilit Seyranyan, left, and Araksya BabikyanThe Tavitian Scholars Program students from the Fletcher Graduate School of Global Affairs at Tufts University held their Certificate Award Ceremony at the Joyce Cummings Center on Friday, December 12, 2025. Photos by Jake Belcher

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“Each scholar has a vital role in your government at home. You will return home and join a cohort of more than 350 alumni. That is a powerful network that you have to do good things in your work. You are also now part of the Fletcher network and Fletcher family,” Gallagher said.

She said Fletcher has alumni in more than 180 countries around the world.

Monica Duffy Toft, Tavitian Program Faculty Chair, Professor of International Politics and Director of Center for Strategic Studies, spoke next. She stressed the demanding academic work and the dedication of the students. She recalled how the first time they met, it was over Zoom. In June, Toft visited Armenia and met with the cohort.

“In late August you arrived here not just as individuals, but as a group excited to be in a shared journey. Over the course of this semester, this group became a true cohort, defined by intellectual rigor, professionalism and genuine care for one another,” she added.

Detailing the academic work of the group, in addition to their outreach in the greater community, Toft noted that December 12 was a special day for Armenians.

“Three pivotal moments happened on this day. Six years ago, the United States Senate unanimously recognized the Armenian Genocide, finally establishing as official US policy after decades of denial. That same day, Armenia secured a UN resolution dedicating World Chess Day. … And three years ago, the Lachin Corridor blockade began,” Toft said.

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“You are and remain part of the Fletcher family,” she said.

Prof. Monica Duffy Toft (Jake W. Belcher Photo)
Monica Toft, Professor of International Politics, Director of the Center for Strategic
Studies, and
Chair of the Tavitian Scholars Program delivered remarks during The Tavitian Scholars Program Fletcher Graduate School of Global Affairs at Tufts University held their Certificate Award Ceremony at the Joyce Cummings Center on Friday, December 12, 2025. Photos by Jake Belcher

Also present was Joyce Barsam, the vice president and trustee of the Tavitian Foundation board of trustees, as well as a Tufts trustee emerita. “You have stretched your thinking in new directions and you have supported each other,” she said, praising the students. She was accompanied by her son, Ara, who is the new executive director of the Armenia Tree Project.

Aso Tavitian, she said, believed “people shape a nation’s destiny. He also understood that Armenia’s progress would depend on public servants that are prepared and thoughtful and open to the world.”

She offered her congratulations, adding, “thank you for the seriousness and the heart which you have brought to this program. I love you all and thank you for bringing honor to the Tavitian Scholars program. Thank you for all the present, past and future.”

Michael J. Glennon, Professor of Constitutional and International Law, said “I can think of no one who has made a greater difference in the life of his country and the lives of so many students and the life of Fletcher than Aso Tavitian,” Glennon said.

He paid tribute to Armenians, saying he has never known kinder people. “Warmth and good cheer and generosity of spirit seems to be baked into Armenians’ DNA,” he said.

Two of the scholars, Lilit Seyranyan and Araksya Babikyan, spoke, noting that many of the Tavitian Scholars had pushed themselves and learned so much, to the point that they were jealous of the full-time Fletcher students.

“In this spirit, we would like to extend our profound gratitude to the Tavitian Foundation for continuing Mr. Tavitian’s mission to educate the next generation of Armenian leaders,” Seyranian said.

From left, Joyce Barsam, Prof. Monica Duffy Toft and Dean Kelly Sims Gallagher present a certificate to one of the Tavitian Scholars. (Jake W. Belcher Photo)
The Tavitian Scholars Program students from the Fletcher Graduate School of Global Affairs at Tufts University held their Certificate Award Ceremony at the Joyce Cummings Center on Friday, December 12, 2025. Photos by Jake Belcher

Babikyan added that at Fletcher, “we’ve been reminded of the importance of standing up for the truth, of upholding the international legal order, of acting in good faith, and most importantly, of listening” to diverse viewpoints.

All the speakers paid tribute to Richard Schultz, Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of International Security Studies, Director of the International Security Studies Program, who had passed away a few days before.

Tavitian, who died in 2020, was an entrepreneur and philanthropist with a vast art collection.

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