About Us

The Regional Center for Democracy and Security (RCDS) is an independent think tank based in Yerevan. We aim to educate policymakers and the broader public about key developments in Armenia and the region, and to serve as a platform for evidence-based research and analysis. Our mission is to be a hub of knowledge, innovation, and collaboration, focused on promoting democracy, human rights, and security.

The RCDS focuses on:

The relationship between democracy and security in Armenia and the factors that support democratic institutional development and the protection of human rights;
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the broader Armenian-Azerbaijani context. With deep expertise in the historical, cultural, and political aspects of the conflict, the RCDS seeks to contribute to key discussions on pressing issues;
Russia’s interests and policies in the South Caucasus region and its impact on the political and security environment.

In addition, we aim to enhance analytical capabilities within Armenia by offering training opportunities to local researchers and analysts and access to cutting-edge research tools and resources.

Our Team

Tigran Grigoryan

Head of RCDS

Tigran Grigoryan is a political analyst who specializes in security, democratic transition, and geopolitical change. He regularly writes about and comments on regional developments for CivilNet. Previously, he worked at Armenia’s Security Council. Tigran was also directly involved in grassroots democracy building in Nagorno-Karabakh. He holds a Master’s degree in Conflict, Governance, and International Development from the University of East Anglia.

Karena Avedissian

Senior Analyst

Dr. Karena Avedissian is a political scientist specializing in authoritarianism, institutional development, and civil society across Eurasia. She also advises governments, NGOs and international institutions on political communication, disinformation, and strategic narrative-building. Karena has previously worked as a research fellow at the University of Southern California and the University of Birmingham. Her work has been published in scholarly publications and in media outlets like The Guardian, Al Jazeera and the Moscow Times. Karena is a regular contributor to EVN Report and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She obtained her PhD from the University of Birmingham in 2015.

Tatevik Ghazaryan

Operations Manager

Tatevik Ghazaryan is a political scientist who specializes in electoral processes. She has actively participated in election observation missions in various countries and regularly undergoes training at ENEMO and EPDE. Additionally, she engages in expert work with local self-government bodies and conducts courses in the regions of Armenia, covering topics including youth issues.Her academic pursuits were conducted at the Regional Politics Department of Yerevan State University.
She worked at the National Assembly as an assistant to an MP. Afterward, she joined the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center. Additionally, she contributed to research projects at the Policy Research Center.
Tatevik pursued studies in Project Management at the BDG school. She successfully managed numerous projects within the NGO and IT sectors.

Hayk Khanumyan

Expert

Hayk Khanumyan graduated from the Faculty of International Relations at Yerevan State University and also specialized in European Studies at the University of Strasbourg. From 2015 to 2020, he served as a member of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh. From 2020 to 2022, he held the position of Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Nagorno-Karabakh. At RCDS Hayk primarily works on issues related to the integration of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia.

Eduard Arakelyan

Analyst

Eduard Arakelyan is a military analyst specializing in Armenia’s military-technical cooperation with various countries, security system diversification, Armed Forces reforms, and weaponry characteristics. He is also an expert on Azerbaijan, monitoring the country’s internal politics, foreign affairs, economy, and energy developments. Previously, he served as an expert in the state system and was the editor of ArtsakhNow.am. Additionally, Eduard Arakelyan contributes articles to CivilNet.