Speakers

H.E. Mr. Vahagn Khachaturyan

President of the Republic of Armenia

H.E. Mr. Vahagn Khachaturyan

President of the Republic of Armenia

H.E. Mr. Vahagn Khachaturyan currently serves as the 5th President of the Republic of Armenia. Over the course of his political career, H.E. Mr. Khachaturyan has occupied various significant government roles. From 1992 to 1996, he served as the Mayor of Yerevan and subsequently as a deputy in the National Assembly during the first convocation of Armenia from 1996 to 1998. Additionally, he has contributed as an Advisor to the RA President and served as the Minister of High-tech Industry from 2021 to 2022. H.E. Mr. Khachaturyan is a candidate in economic sciences, and has authored numerous scientific articles and translations of political science books.

H.E. Mr. Vassilis Maragos

Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia

H.E. Mr. Vassilis Maragos

Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia

H.E. Mr. Maragos, currently the Head of European Union Delegation to Armenia, has extensive experience in EU external relations and enlargement since the 1990s. He earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Athens and holds a MA in International Politics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Throughout his career, Mr. Maragos has played significant roles in EU Delegations in Sofia and Skopje, focusing on enlargement policy and regional cooperation in South-East Europe since 2005. In addition to his diplomatic endeavors, he has made noteworthy contributions to academia, publishing essays on EU-related issues and the history of the Balkans.

Ms. Natia Natsvlishvili

UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia

Ms. Natia Natsvlishvili

UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia

Ms. Natia Natsvlishvili assumed the duties of UNDP permanent representative in Armenia in September 2021. She has over 20 years of experience in development. Before arriving in Armenia, Ms. Natsvlishvili was the Acting UNDP Resident Representative in the UNDP Turkmenistan office, where she strengthened UNDP's position as a partner of choice for government and other development agencies, and helped double the office's portfolio in both size and diversity. Ms. Natia Natsvlishvili graduated from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government with a master's degree in public policy (2002), as well as Tbilisi State University's Faculty of Physics and Mathematics with a master's degree (2000).

Ms. Viktorya Aydinyan

Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan

Ms. Viktorya Aydinyan

Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan

Ms. Viktoya Aydinyan is the advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan. She coordinates the development of Public Administration Reform Strategy and its implementation. Her professional interests include strategic planning, public policy development and implementation, public administration reforms. Previously, she held positions as an Assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan as well as Advisor to the RA Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. She participated in the development of nine national strategies and effectively coordinated implementation of 25 national initiatives.

Mr. Vache Gabrielyan

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, Dean of Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics at AUA

Mr. Vache Gabrielyan

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, Dean of Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics at AUA

Since January 2019 Dr. Vache Gabrielyan has been appointed as Dean of the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics. He studied at the Yerevan State University and received his Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration from Rutgers University. Dr. Gabrielyan has held various significant roles in Armenia, including Vice-Governor of the Central Bank, Minister of Finance, Minister-Chief of Government Staff, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of International Economic Integration and Reforms. His expertise lies in public administration and economics. He specializes in public administration and economics. Mr. Vache Gabrielyan is an author of a number of scientific papers published in Armenia and internationally.

Mr. Giulio Quaggiotto

Strategic Innovation Adviser for the UAE Prime Minister’s Office

Mr. Giulio Quaggiotto

Strategic Innovation Adviser for the UAE Prime Minister’s Office

Mr. Giulio Quaggiotto is the Innovation Adviser at the UAE Prime Minister's Office. Prior to that, he was the Head of UNDP Regional Innovation Center, worked at the EU Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate KIC), the UK's Social Good Innovation Agency (Nesta), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the World Bank. He also directed the UN Global Pulse Jakarta Lab, the UN Secretary-General's innovative initiative to use big data for public policy. He was a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and is a professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan.

Ms. Elsa Belo

Director of LabX, Center for Innovation in the Public Sector of the Agency for Administrative Modernization (AMA), Portugal

Ms. Elsa Belo

Director of LabX, Center for Innovation in the Public Sector of the Agency for Administrative Modernization (AMA), Portugal

Ms. Elsa Belo is the Director of Lab X, Center for Innovation in the Public Sector of the Agency for Administrative Modernization (AMA). Before that, she worked at the National Institute of Public Administration in the General Directorate of Qualification of Employees for State Positions and is a member of the Public Administration Innovation Promotion Program coordinating team. Developed and implemented a number of training programs for the General Directorate of Economic Affairs of the Portuguese Ministry of Economy and Maritime Affairs and the Training Centers of the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has a Ph.D. in Public Administration.

Ms. Tina Stoum

UNDP Regional Orchestrator for Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) Facility

Ms. Tina Stoum

UNDP Regional Orchestrator for Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) Facility

Ms. Tina Stoum has a 15-year career in development, with a decade dedicated to the United Nations including roles within IOM, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, and UNDP. She's navigated diverse development landscapes, from judiciary systems and rule of law to migration, biodiversity, and women’s empowerment. She is passionate about international solidarity and making our societies greener and more inclusive. Tina's UNDP contributions span from Kenya and Turkey to China and the UN HQ in New York. Currently, Tina spearheads the transformative EU & UNDP partnership "Mayors for Economic Growth Facility", focusing on urban transformation in the Eastern Partnership nations. Her educational background features an MA in Public International Law from Costa Rica and another MA in Culture Theory and Gender Studies from Norway.

Mr. Tigran Tshorokhyan

UNDP in Armenia’s Innovation and SDG Finance Portfolio Lead

Mr. Tigran Tshorokhyan

UNDP in Armenia’s Innovation and SDG Finance Portfolio Lead

Mr. Tigran Tshorokhyan has been at the helm of the UNDP innovation and SDG finance portfolio in Armenia since 2023. He also leads the UNDP SDG Innovation Lab, which is the joint initiative of the United Nations and the Government of Armenia and aims to mainstream innovation in the public sector. Prior to joining UNDP, Mr. Tshorokhyan was the executive director of "Digital Armenia" Foundation, as well as a consultant to the Council of Europe. Mr. Tshorokhyan is a candidate of political sciences.

Mr. Nerses Yeritsyan

Head of Information Systems Agency of Armenia (ISAA)

Mr. Nerses Yeritsyan

Head of Information Systems Agency of Armenia (ISAA)

Mr. Nerses Yeritsyan is the Head of the Information Systems Agency of Armenia, which is a digital ecosystem development body jointly created by the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Central Bank of Armenia. His extensive career includes previous roles as the Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia and the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia. Additionally, he served as an Advisor to the Dutch Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund. Nerses Yeritsyan holds a degree of Doctor of Economics.

Breakout Session Facilitators

Ms. Kristine Sargsyan

Leadership, change management and strategic thinking expert, founder of TEDxYerevan and ThinkStudio

Ms. Kristine Sargsyan

Leadership, change management and strategic thinking expert, founder of TEDxYerevan and ThinkStudio

Ms. Kristine Sargsyan has 20 years of consulting experience in leadership, change management and strategic thinking in our region, Central Asia, Europe and the USA. In 2010, she co-founded TEDxYerevan with Alexis Ohanyan. She also founded ThinkStudio, an initiative that provides public speaking and leadership consulting to high-ranked officials and executives of startups. Christine has also worked for the US office of the TED conference as well as with the TED-Ed educational platform, resulting in her being selected as one of 28 TED-Ed Innovative Educators in 2015 out of 250,000 education professionals.

Ms. Nvard Melkonyan

Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology, Yerevan State University

Ms. Nvard Melkonyan

Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology, Yerevan State University

Ms. Nvard Melkonynan is a member of International PR Association, Word member at Armenian Social Works Association, Member of Armenian PR Association. She is Included in the prestigious '50 Women Leaders' list, which celebrates strong female leaders in PR and communications. A leading expert consultant with extensive experience in all aspects of Strategic Communication and Public Relations, including Media Relations and Crisis Communications, Reputation Management, Political Engagement, and Brand Communication strategy.

Ms. Arpine Mazhinyan

Specialist in behavioral and public policy research, social and behavioral change

Ms. Arpine Mazhinyan

Specialist in behavioral and public policy research, social and behavioral change

Ms. Arpine Mazhinyan leads the Behavior Change service line at the SDG Innovation Lab. She is an expert at the intersection of applied research, behavioral interventions, and social behavior change in public policy. With a background in sociology and public policy, she brings a unique blend of insight and practical experience to behavior change initiatives. Ms. Arpine Mazhinyan specializes in the design and coordination of behavioral interventions, utilizing her expertise to address societal challenges through exploration and understanding of human nature and decision-making architecture. Ms. Arpine Mazhinyan has a background in sociology and public policy, having earned degrees from Oregon State University and Yerevan State University.

Ms. Lusine Kocharyan

Head of Disaster Management Department, Armenian Red Cross Society

Ms. Lusine Kocharyan

Head of Disaster Management Department, Armenian Red Cross Society

Ms. Lusine Kocharyan, currently Head of Disaster Management at the Armenian Red Cross Society, holds an MD from Yerevan State Medical University (2000) and an MPH from the American University of Armenia (2014). With a diverse background in epidemiology, policy development, and public health, Lusine excels in disaster management. She held key healthcare roles, including Director of the National Tuberculosis Center and Secretary General of the Ministry of Health. As Head of Disaster Management at ARCS, she led coordination of major relief efforts after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh escalation, aiming to enhance operational capacities and institutionalize successful initiatives.

Ms. Arpine Hakobyan

CSO sector expert, researcher, development projects’ social impact assessment specialist

Ms. Arpine Hakobyan

CSO sector expert, researcher, development projects’ social impact assessment specialist

Ms. Arpine Hakobyan boasts 20 years of non-profit management expertise, with a tenure at the NGO Center since 2002 and as its president since 2015. As a certified trainer with 15+ years in non-formal education, her focus spans proposal writing, logical frameworks, needs assessment, research methods, fundraising, management, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, and community mobilization. A proficient community development specialist, Ms. Hakobyan actively contributes to fortifying community groups and Local Self-Government Bodies, guided by the principle that only self-sufficient communities can govern themselves. In the last two years, she successfully launched and managed the social enterprise "TUc-Tourism Unique Center," exemplifying community development through business approaches and a social impact ideology.

Partners & Organizers

This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of UNDP in Armenia and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

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