No, Huys Foundation’s approach toward the sense of responsibility of its scholars is based not on legal obligations, which we find limiting, but instead on personal commitments, which we find uplifting. Instead of requiring our scholars to sign a contract on their obligations, we ask them to prepare a Letter of Commitment, outlining in detail the following:

• The immediate need, skills shortage, and/or target area for Armenia, the Armenian nation, or Humanity;
• The learning, experience, and network that the Huys Scholar will receive as a result of the academic program;
• The actions and timeline that the Huys Scholar will implement and follow in order to apply one’s learning, experience, and networks in addressing the identified challenge.

The Letter of Commitment is then signed by the scholar, with an understanding that the scholarship is released in reliance on the scholar’s commitment, and the letter is published on the Huys’s website.

No. Huys Foundation espouses the vision of a globally connected Armenian nation, which views Armenians as one nation, united around the concept and reality of Armenia. In line with this vision, Huys Foundation does not require Huys Scholars to relocate to or work in Armenia, as it believes that Armenian interests may be served both from within and outside Armenia.

No, because to say that a country is being drained of talent is to say that the knowledge of persons who are not physically located in that country are irrelevant. For a nation the majority of which lives outside its Homeland, such an approach means discounting that foreign-residing majority, an unwanted and unintended consequence of such a perspective. Indeed, if we are to revive a nation and continue building Armenia, while advancing the common causes of Humanity, we must become proficient in fully utilizing the academic and professional resources of our nation, wherever they reside.

This vision is aided by the simple truth that today, knowledge and information are the most valuable assets – assets which, in a hyper-connected world, know no boundaries and which transmit at the speed of light. This reality necessitates a shift in the way we perceive talent and impact, acknowledging that an individual living and working thousands of miles away can be just as resourceful.

For this very reason, as mentioned above, Huys embraces a holistic view of the Armenian nation, viewing Armenia as the global headquarters of the nation and the world as an open workspace. At times, fruitful minds can achieve their best potential only if they are nurtured at leading global centers of excellence – whether through education, professional work experience, or both – which requires the young professional to live abroad for several years. Requiring the Huys Scholar to return to Armenia fresh out of graduation may result in nipping the potential rising star in the bud, thus defeating the whole point of achieving top education.

As a final point, from a merely technical perspective, the question remains on the method with which an organization is to require scholars to return to Armenia, were it intent on doing so. Adding to the point on legal obligations being a limiting, coercing mechanism, we’re also of the firm belief that legal obligations are largely unenforceable when it comes to requiring relocation. In other words, if a person does not want to relocate, contracts and courts could hardly change that. Rather than oblige and repel, we seek to inspire and engage – since, based on personal experience, we have witnessed how giving freedom to youth instead of confining them makes them that much more committed.

Huys Scholarships will be in the amount of no less than $2,000, except for Huys Scholarships granted to scholars studying at Armenian educational institutions, which shall cover the annual tuition up to $1,000.

As a matter of policy, the Huys Scholarship shall be used for educational expenses only. By default, this means that Huys transfers the entire amount of the scholarship to the academic institution of the Huys Scholar.