Artur Harutyunyan

Artur Harutyunyan is from a small town in Artsakh called Martakert. During his service in the 2020 Artsakh War, he found himself trapped in a blockade with 20 other soldiers. Determined to make it to safety, he and a few others split off into a smaller group, resulting in a journey to survival through unimaginable conditions in the woods. Throughout the challenging weeks ahead of them, without any resources, Artur and his friends managed to call for help, and eventually made it home, miraculously. 

Before he began his service in the army, he had found out that he had been accepted to AUA. He recalls, “When I was in the hospital after returning from the war, I was quite shocked. They [AUA] asked me if I needed any support or financial aid for my education. It was something I needed even before the army, but I didn’t have time to apply for it. I received the Apkarian Foundation Scholarship, which I am very grateful and excited for.”

Hailing from such a small town, he first learned from AUA upon attending a school in Stepanakert with a track in physics and mathematics. While the western style of education AUA offered was an intimidating factor at first, he decided to take the risk and apply anyway. Artur is currently studying engineering sciences. “I will do my best to develop Armenia, and I believe that with quality education, anyone can make a positive impact on Armenia,” notes Artur.

Artur believes that people should stay in Armenia and, specifically, in Artsakh, otherwise we will lose it completely. He dreams about organizing camps for the youth in Artsakh, as it used to be one of his favorite activities. “I can’t say much about the future, but I can definitely say that my future is in Artsakh. I will stay and help to rebuild and develop my homeland,” he says with great enthusiasm.