I was born and raised in Artsakh — a place that from my earliest memories, carried both immense beauty and immense burden. Long before I understood international law or media narratives, I knew that my homeland was contested, misunderstood, and often ignored by the outside world. When I became a refugee in 2023, as the entire population of Artsakh was forcefully displaced, I realized the scale of that silence. The world didn’t see us — not because we were invisible, but because few were telling our story in the places that mattered.

This silence — in the international press, in policy debates, and even within parts of Armenia — is not just a failure of empathy. It is the result of a chronic lack of representation, understanding, and advocacy. The Artsakh blockade and eventual exodus were scarcely covered by Armenian state media and barely registered in the global press. In the absence of reliable, timely, and persistent reporting, even those closest to the crisis remained unaware of its human toll. In Yerevan, I was asked by my neighbor whether I could “visit” my parents under siege. In Paris, a French-Armenian asked if it was still possible to travel to Artsakh as a tourist. Moreover, at a university as prestigious as Sciences Po, I encountered students completely unaware of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

The problem is clear: Armenia and Artsakh lack sustained representation in international journalism and foreign institutions. This leads to reactive, inconsistent coverage and weak advocacy — a cycle that leaves Armenians voiceless at the moments they most need to be heard. Without a new generation of journalists and communicators who understand the region from the inside and can operate on the international stage, this silence will persist.

My goal is to break it.

Before coming to France, I spent three years reporting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict while completing my undergraduate studies. I contributed to platforms such as Eurasianet, Euronews, and the BBC. My work ranged from field dispatches to longform analysis — always with the aim of putting Artsakh on the international map not just during times of war, but during its quieter struggles for dignity and survival.

In 2023, I was accepted into the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) to pursue a Joint Master’s in Journalism and International Affairs. I am the only student from the South Caucasus and post-Soviet space in my cohort. While challenging, this position is also uniquely empowering: I am able to introduce a region that is often overlooked to peers who will become future leaders in media, diplomacy, and global affairs. Sciences Po, Europe’s leading university in political studies and journalism, is known as a hub of influence. It is a space where ideas and relationships take root — relationships that will shape how future stories are told, and whose stories get heard.

Throughout my first academic year, I’ve taken courses with leading journalists from outlets like Le Monde, France 24, AFP, or the Washington Post, as well as practitioners from the UN, OSCE and other international institutions. I have gained skills in multimedia journalism, investigative techniques, data analysis, and international reporting standards. But most importantly, I have built a professional network. In journalism and politics alike, personal relationships often guide decisions as much as policy or principle. I’ve forged strong ties with professors, editors, and classmates — many of whom will shape the media landscape in the coming decade. As an Armenian, these connections are essential. The influence of the Armenian diaspora in institutions worldwide has shown that presence often equals power. It is through individual advocates in the right places that Armenian issues stay on the agenda.

But awareness alone is not enough. That’s why my commitment goes beyond reporting — toward building long-term structures for visibility and advocacy.

In the short term, I aim to join an international media organization and produce regular, high-quality reporting from Armenia and the region. I want to bring Artsakh and the South Caucasus into global consciousness not only during crises, but through sustained, in-depth storytelling that explains the roots of conflict, displacement, and political instability in our countries. I will also continue contributing to diasporan and European platforms, ensuring the Armenian voice is heard across languages and audiences.

Thanks to the skills and network I’ve gained at Sciences Po, I’ve been accepted for summer internships at France 24 and Le Figaro — two prominent French media outlets. While I plan to broaden my reporting to include countries and topics beyond the Caucasus, ensuring consistent coverage of our region remains a core mission. Wherever my career takes me, I will continue to carry this responsibility on any international platform I work for.

In the future, I want to mentor young Armenian journalists in international standards and strategic communication, especially those from displaced or border communities. As someone from a conflict zone, I know that these journalists carry urgent stories — they just need the tools and support to tell them effectively.

In the long term, I aspire to become a recognized correspondent and expert on the South Caucasus, advising international outlets and institutions on the region’s dynamics. My goal is to not only report the news but to shape how Armenia is understood by those who make policy, fund humanitarian responses, and teach global affairs.

This vision is not abstract. It is rooted in my own experience — as a displaced Armenian, as a journalist, and as someone who has had to explain again and again that yes, we exist, and yes, we matter.

For Armenia to secure its future, it must be seen. For Artsakh to have a legacy, it must be remembered. And for both to find justice, they must be part of the conversation — in Brussels, in Paris, in Washington, and in newsrooms across the world. I am committed to making that happen.

I am aware that Huys Foundation is granting the Huys Scholarship to me with the anticipation of my good faith pursuit and implementation of the projects and undertakings described in this letter, to which I hereby commit.