Vartan Marashlyan

Vartan Marashlyan was born in Yerevan and moved back to Armenia in 2010 after living abroad for over 25 years. In 2012, he became the Co-Founder and the Executive Director of Repat Armenia Foundation – non-governmental and non-commercial organization aimed at promoting high impact repatriation to Armenia as well as engaging Diasporan Armenians with the Homeland. Before the establishment of Repat Armenia, he was the Deputy Minister of Diaspora with a particular focus on repatriation and youth programs, Diaspora outreach strategy, Summer School for the Young Diasporan Leaders and Media professionals.

Vartan holds PhD in Economics from Moscow State University. He is a lecturer of Comparative Analysis of the Diasporas course in Armenia and an expert on Diaspora-State relations focusing on international experience of State-Diaspora relations, repatriation and integration policies and Armenian identity. Vartan also worked as an Economic Advisor to the British Department for International Development in Russia. His private sector experience includes real estate development and banking working in Russia.