Providing university scholarships to Armenian and Armenian Studies students around the world has been a core activity of the Armenian Communities Department since its inception in 1956. Many prominent Armenians in leadership positions have received scholarships from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation when they were university students. Thanks to these scholarships, thousands of students around the world have been able to pursue higher education.

Scholarships are in their essence instruments of equity. They enable deserving students to seize the opportunity of higher education and realise their full potential. The Department grants one million Euros in scholarships every year. It focuses on Armenian Studies at the graduate level, while providing funding to Armenian undergraduate students in or from developing countries to major in any topic. It also provides short-term research and travel grants.

The emphasis on Armenian Studies (broadly defined) emanates from the fact that globally there is little research funding on this topic, especially pertaining to contemporary issues. At the undergraduate level, the concentration is on countries where there are no state funding opportunities to university students, particularly in the Middle East.

The four main categories through which the Department grants scholarships are:

1. Armenian Studies graduate degrees.
2. Short term research grants for Armenian studies.
3. Higher Education for Armenian Students in/from Developing Countries (principally undergraduate).
4. Short term conference and travel grants to students and young researchers in Armenia (all subjects).

In addition, scholarships are granted on an ad hoc basis to Armenian university students studying in Portugal.  

Scholarship amounts vary based on degree and category. In general, instead of giving small grants that constitute an insignificant part of a student’s overall budget, the Department gives fewer scholarships but in greater amounts at the post-graduate level. At the undergraduate level, the amounts are smaller to benefit as many students as possible. Every year approximately 150 new scholarships, in varying amounts, are granted in some 15-20 countries.