For example, the “Free Bursaries” initiative was established in 1959 to help students attend Armenian schools around the world, particularly in the Middle East.Thousands of children benefitted from the scheme, which continued for decades. Simultaneously, scholarships were given to Armenian students to attend university.

Over the years, as communities have become more prosperous, support for schoolchildren was phased out in favour of increased funding to university students. The Department constantly adjusts its scholarship programme to address the shifting realities of the Armenian world. The scholarship categories have become more targeted and focused.

Currently, four principal university scholarship categories exist. The two main ones are the “Calouste Gulbenkian Armenian Studies Scholarship” and the “Higher Education Scholarships for Armenian Students in Developing Countries.” The first addresses the need to invest in Armenian Studies at the post-graduate level, the second to support Armenian students in economically challenging environments irrespective of their subject of study. The two other smaller categories are “Short Term Conference and Travel Grants to Students and Young Academics in Armenia” and “Short Term Grants for Armenian Studies,” which is open to all researchers working on Armenian topics, particularly contemporary issues.

Over the years, thousands of students have been able to pursue higher education thanks to these scholarships – an investment for the future, the fruits of which become evident over time. The impact that scholarships is measured on the long term. Decades after scholarships are granted, their positive impact surfaces. Many of the leaders and intellectuals in the Diaspora today, be they within the Armenian community or greater society, have been Gulbenkian scholarship recipients. For instance, Professor Daron Acemoğlu won the Nobel Prize for Economics in October 2024, along with two other colleagues. In 2021, Professor Ardem Patapoutian won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Both had received scholarships for their undergraduate studies from the Armenian Communities Department in the 1980s.

In 2025 a total of 262.490 Euros were granted in the Armenian Studies category. During the two-and-a-half-month application period (March to May), 57 applications were received and 13 candidates received grants from Armenia, Canada, United States, France, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and Portugal. Of the 13 scholarships awarded, three were for master’s degrees, eight for PhD and two for post-doc. In addition, four scholarships from previous years (2023 and 2024) were renewed.

Close to 124.000 EUR in new scholarships was granted within the Higher Education Scholarships for Armenian Students in Developing Countries category, in addition to the renewals amounting to 183.672 Euros, for a total of 307.672 Euros. The application period was from May to June. In 2025, 190 applications were received; 34 students were selected through a competitive process based on merit and financial need considerations. Although this scholarship category is primarily intended for bachelor’s degrees, five applications were selected for master’s degrees.

In the Short Term Conference and Travel category for researchers in Armenia, 315 applications were received and 93 grants were awarded. In the Short Term Armenian Studies category 78 grants were awarded from the 153 applications received in 2025. The total amount granted in both categories added to 276.122 EUR.

A number of scholarships were also granted to Armenian students studying in Portuguese universities.

Every year, the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation grants up to one million to 1.1 million Euros in scholarships benefiting around 290 students and researchers in 30 countries. 

The full scholarship reports can be read below: