2019 ANNUAL REPORT
Huys Foundation is a cause. We believe that if we are to build a country, vitalize our nation, and serve humanity, then we must think together and work together, united by a common vision for the future and for the world.
To achieve this cause, Huys
Foundation empowers bright Armenian minds to achieve excellent education, connects them with purpose, and engages them in actualizing their potential through service, with a commitment to Armenia and the Armenian nation. A Huys Scholarship goes beyond financial support. It is an invitation to our scholars to turn their learning into impact, and a challenge to go all the way. It is another brick laid in the effort to pave global pathways of academic and professional potential. It is one more subscription to the mantra that success is not built in isolation. And this is the mantra that sparked Huys: Paying It Forward.
Powered through the voluntary efforts of
Luys alumni, Huys Foundation was launched in 2018 so that the doors that were once opened for Luys alumni are today opened for the new generation. Espousing
accountability,
transparency,
and
independence as guiding principles, Huys dedicates virtually all funds raised to its cause of serving and guiding our nation, through education, to eternity.
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MISSION, VISION & IMPLEMENTATION Mission
Vision
Implementation
Huys Foundation supports Armenian youth to achieve educational excellence, with an academic and professional commitment to Armenia and the Armenian nation.
Huys Foundation pursues a vision of an academically and
Huys Foundation focuses its work exclusively on educational excellence,
professionally interconnected and collaborating Armenian nation.
achieving this through the scholarship program and building global networks of academic and professional potential.
Scholarship Program Huys Foundation supports students selected through a competitive selection process by an independent Scholarship Committee. To be eligible, the applicant shall be: An individual within the ages of 18 to 40, both inclusive, of Armenian descent (regardless of location of permanent residence or citizenship); an Armenian citizen (regardless of ethnic origin or location or permanent residence); an Armenian resident (regardless of ethnic origin or citizenship) or a person who has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to preserve and advance Armenian heritage and culture, Admitted full-time to an academic degree program which is considered a globally-ranked top degree program in that specific academic field, regardless of the ranking of the educational institution which offers the academic degree program, Able to show and substantiate how the learning, experience, and networks gained through the applicant’s academic degree program can be used to address an immediate need, skills shortage, or target area for Armenia, for the Armenian nation, or for humanity. 4
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Accountability All directors of Huys Foundation should be accountable for their actions. They should take full responsibility for them and should always be able to justify them to the public and the authorities.
Independence Independence and impartiality are the cornerstones of Huys Foundation’s activities. Huys Foundation is not affiliated with or controlled by any political party, association, or governmental agency.
Transparency Huys Foundation works in a transparent manner and will provide timely, comprehensive, and accurate information to all stakeholders including donors, the authorities, the media, and the public.
Ethics Huys Foundation is fully committed to the practice of honesty, integrity, truthfulness, and adherence to safeguarding the public trust in all its transactions.
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HIGHLIGHTS
For the 2019-2020 academic year, Huys Foundation received a total of 99 scholarship applications.
Country of Residence 80
Not limiting applicants to a particular ranking system, Huys Foundation welcomed applications from a variety of educational institutions and academic programs. Instead, Huys invited applicants to substantiate how their learning and experience is to bring about real impact.
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Gender of Applicant
The selection of the Huys Scholarship recipients was conducted by an independent Scholarship Committee comprised of five Luys alumni.
Degree Program Applied For PhD 7.1%
Bachelor's 38.4%
Male 52%
Female 48%
Master's 54.5%
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During its first full year of operations, Huys Foundation has succeeded in raising $19,702.41 in donations, a large part of which has been contributed by and through Luys alumni, and awarding $10,000 in Huys Scholarships. Operational costs have been kept to a minimum, with $498 (or 2.5% of 2019 donations) being spent on branding services, and bank charges and processing fees amounting to $392.37 (or 2% of 2019 donations). Additional expenses in the amount of $359.57 have been covered directly by members of the Board of Huys Foundation. With an eye to long-term sustainability, Huys Foundation has adopted a policy of committing a percentage of annual donations to an endowment fund. As a result, $8,812.04 has been carried over to 2020.
Services and Fees 4.5%
Donations Balance 44.7%
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Scholarships 50.8%
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Andrea Simonian BS in Physiological Sciences University of California, Los Angeles, Huys Scholar 2019
As a UCLA student, I am held to the values beyond academic success with an emphasis on service and community involvement. Furthermore, my Armenian identity has instilled great pride in me and a desire to use the time I spend at this institution looking for ways to better the lives of those who share my Armenian roots. As a pre-health student, my vision for a better Armenia lies primarily in the healthcare field, and the problems which I hope to address during and beyond my education are rooted in personal observations. Last summer, while volunteering in hospitals in Armenia, I observed several different systematic concerns which were significantly limiting patient care. As a country which is still developing, Armenia still has many improvements to make in hospitals and clinics, and I would like to contribute to this effort by creating a series of initiatives which operate to improve Armenian hospitals while also bridging the gap between Armenians inside the country and out. Read Andrea's commitment letter in full: https://huysfoundation.org/scholars/andrea-simonian/
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Emilia Simonian BA in Veterinary Medicine University of Cambridge Huys Scholar 2019
After learning from world leaders in the field of veterinary medicine, I will bring my knowledge and experience to Armenia to teach the coming generations of Armenian veterinary and medical professionals. I would like to also teach at schools in villages, where formal education on the fundamental principles of animal management, handling and veterinary medicine will result in future generations of farmers who are better educated and up to date with the recent advances in the field. They will know how to take preventive measures and suffer less from the loss of livestock due to issues such as poor welfare. I would also love to use my experience in an accredited veterinary educational system to help improve the educational programs in veterinary schools in Armenia. This will lead to an increase in the quality of professionals produced and, thus, stronger human resources.Veterinary medicine is one of the least common career paths taken by Armenians, especially Armenian women. Read Emilia's commitment letter in full: https://huysfoundation.org/scholars/emilia-simonian/
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Hrachya Ishkhanyan Physics Research MPhil/PhD King’s College London, Huys Scholar 2019
My goal is to establish a lab in Armenia, focusing on cancer research and treatment after my Ph.D. research. It will educate and attract students and young scientists to this crucial field who will have freedom to bring their own ideas to life and contribute greatly to the development of science in Armenia. The existence of such a laboratory will reduce human capital flight from Armenia, and make it a globally acknowledged cancer research center alongside with Cancer research UK, German Cancer research center etc.Cancer is the second leading cause of death. It has a vast amount of different types, and there is no affordable and single cure for it. According to statistics from the World Health Organization in 2018 around 6400 people died from cancer in Armenia and 9.6 million worldwide, mostly from lung and breast cancer. A significant cause of this is the late diagnosis and lack of technologies and professionals in this field in low and mid-income countries. Read Hrachya's commitment letter in full: https://huysfoundation.org/scholars/hrachya-ishkhanyan/
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Mikael Yeghiazaryan MEng in Engineering Science University of Oxford Huys Scholar 2019
One of my top personal goals is to contribute to the scientific and technological advancement of Armenia in different areas, particularly in Engineering and Robotics. Advances in Robotics can benefit many industries in Armenia, from medical applications to agriculture. For instance, advanced robotic solutions, which are being increasingly used in surgeries and other medical procedures, will help to modernize medical field in Armenia and make it a regional hub of high-precision medicine. In industrial farming, automated robots can lead to considerable improvements in harvesting, which, in turn, will stimulate Armenian economics. I would like to initiate and contribute to such projects, and work tirelessly to make this vision a reality one day. Read Mikael's commitment letter in full: https://huysfoundation.org/scholars/mikael-yeghiazaryan/
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Ofelya Gyozalyan MPhil in Economic Research University of Cambridge, Huys Scholar 2019
First, we need to effectively identify poor people using multiple dimensions of poverty. If we are able to come up with an effective measure, we will be able to find those who really need financial support from the government. By concentrating on giving people incentives to create value by themselves rather than sit and wait for the government to provide the benefit this kind of program will ensure that our benefit program does reduce poverty rate of the country. After five to seven years, poor people will improve their conditions so much that the government can exclude them from the benefit program. This stage will be more preferable than the initial one with the benefit, since the change will be significant. Therefore, everyone will be better-off. Read Ofelya's commitment letter in full: https://huysfoundation.org/scholars/ofelya-gyozalyan/
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Hayk Mikayelyan MPS in Interactive Telecommunications New York University, Huys Scholar 2018
My long-term goal is to establish a science learning center, which is to be the first nonformal learning space in Armenia of its kind. I aim to promote science learning in a new fun way by stimulating curiosity and love towards science. This learning center will serve as a model for all young learners as you learn best when you truly love the subject and curious about it. Science learning can be approached from different perspectives, though the main difference with the current learning centers is that my goal is to captivate the “wow moment” and excite a desire to learn. This is how I first discovered the power of engineering from my father, who used to be an engineer. It is said that magicians are good at controlling the attention, delivering the important and secondary messages using storytelling techniques. First, it will attract then hold the interest and attention on a specific scientific area. Read Hayk's commitment letter in full: https://huysfoundation.org/scholars/hayk-mikayelyan/
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IN MEMORY OF JOHN AROUTIOUNIAN, LUYS ALUMNUS '15
Through Education to Eternity. This guiding principle empowers Huys Foundation to create and promote a timeless intellectual value for Armenia and for the Armenian nation globally. These are also the ideals that John Aroutiounian stood for during the brilliant 26 years of his life, with a deep commitment of serving others through vast knowledge, gratitude in action, and an undaunted pursuit of the true and the good.
In homage to his legacy that lives, Huys Foundation dedicates the 2019-2020 Huys Scholarships to the memory of John Aroutiounian, who truly achieved eternity through his unwavering commitment to intellectual growth and searching for truth through education, faith, and service. Read through the columns John wrote for the Yale Daily News and suddenly you can feel his spirit, and hear his voice coming alive. John’s love for humanity and justice was the drive. He was a fearless warrior taking on challenging issues, while remaining respectful and gracious to all parties. John uniquely combined bright intelligence, good ambition, courage, wit, humility, and kindness what made him successful as a person, a leader, a thinker, a professional, and a friend, making him so appreciated, loved, and respected by all. As a fellow Luys alumnus, John was our dear friend. On countless occasions did John huddle together with his peers under the starlit night sky in some faraway Armenian village, long past the setting of the sun, forgetting their place in time and space as they gave full swing to their minds, debating history and philosophy, politics and ethics, dreaming about the future of Armenian and global civilization. On May 3, 2019, we lost John Aroutiounian: one of the youngest and brightest stars of our nation. However, stars do not die, but are reborn. The greatest of stars expand vastly and burst their colossal energy back into the heavens. From and amongst the stardust of that awesome explosion, millions of new stars are born to embark on their own stellar journey. 14
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So does the wealth of John’s work serve as an unwavering foundation for the ascent and accomplishments of rising stars. Huys Foundation announces the John Aroutiounian Scholarships for 2019-2020 to ignite the minds and creativity of new talents who will take inspiration from John, inspire others in their own right, and continue the passionate service to humanity that John so beautifully championed. Biography John Aroutiounian (1993-2019) was born and raised in New York City, also lived in Washington, DC, Kentucky, Connecticut, and the UK. In 2015, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Ethics, Politics & Economics (EP&E), and History (with Distinction) from Yale University. In 2017, John obtained his Master of Studies degree in Classical Armenian Studies from the University of Oxford. He had an expected graduation date of 2020 from Columbia University Law School, where he was studying for his Juris Doctorate, and was a recipient of the prestigious Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship. While at Henry Clay High School Academy in Kentucky, John was elected Youth YMCA Governor of East Kentucky, and served as a United State Senate Page in Washington, DC. He successfully lobbied the office of the Governor of the State of Kentucky to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Later, as a Luys alumnus, John maintained a stalwart commitment to Armenia and Armenian affairs, working with the Armenian National Committee of America to advance Armenian issues in the American political sphere, and also founded the Yale Armenian Network. Prior to law school, John Aroutiounian worked at the New York District Attorney’s Office. He was the Speaker of the Yale Political Union, a staff columnist for Yale Daily News, an elected member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), a member of the Capitol Page Alumni Association, the Committee Chair of the Yale Political Union Alumni Association, and one of the Young Friends of the New York Philharmonic. John did volunteer work for The Trevor Project, providing counseling and suicide de-escalation services for young people. He spoke six languages, played the piano, loved journalism and creative writing, and enjoyed hiking, cycling, playing polo, and traveling.
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DONORS & PARTNERS Huys Foundation is immensely thankful to its donors for their support in our first year of operations. Aida Torosyan Alain Chaglassian (Luys alumnus, Imperial College London) Albert Tamazyan, PhD AmazonSmile Anahit Papyan (Luys alumnus, University of Cambridge) Anna Srapionyan (Luys alumnus, The University of Chicago) Anonymous from US Anonymous from US Anushavan Hambardzumyan (Luys alumnus, Columbia University) Archbishop Hovnan Derderian Scholarship Fund Arevik and Naira Karabakhtsian, John Aroutiounian's aunts Arevshat Meliksetyan (Luys alumnus, University of Cambridge) Arin Aghazarian (Luys alumnus, The University of Chicago) Aris Aroutiounian and Rouzan Karabakhtsian, John Aroutiounian's parents Arman Atoyan Armen Khachikyan (Luys alumnus, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) Armen Samurkashian (Luys alumnus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Artyom Kosyan (Luys alumnus, The University of Chicago) Bank of America* Eduard Badalyan (Luys alumnus, University of Pennsylvania) Factset Research Systems Inc.* Gagik Mikaelyan Google, Inc.* 16
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Hayk Mikayelyan (Huys scholar, New York University) Jacqueline Karaaslanian Karen Yengibaryan (Luys alumnus, University College London) Karmen Mezhlumyan, John Aroutiounian's grandmother Lena Cherkezian Microsoft* Mikayel Mirzoyan (Luys alumnus, University College London) Ovanes Manucharyan Razmik Warakian (Luys alumnus, University of Oxford) Ruben Hovhannisyan (CPA, CFA) and Lilit Minasyan, MD Ruzanna Sargsyan (Luys alumnus, University of Cambridge) Sam Pogosov Sargis Hakobyan (Luys alumnus, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) Sevag Kazandjian (Luys alumnus, University of Oxford) Stepan Khzrtian (Luys alumnus, University of Cambridge) Tigran Nikoghosyan Tigran Shahverdian (Luys alumnus, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) Vahagn Aslanyan (Luys alumnus, University of Oxford) Vartan Bezhanyan (Luys alumnus, University of Pennsylvania) * Donations under an employer gift-matching program
Huys Foundation is immensely thankful to Gerard Mekhsian, Partner at Hutchinson & Bloodgood LLP, for providing accounting support. ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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BOARD AND TEAM
Board
Stepan Khzrtian President Luys Alum 2011
Anna Srapionyan Board Member Luys Alum 2014
Sevag Kazandjian Board Member, CFO Luys Alum 2014
Jacqueline Karaaslanian Board Member
Vartan Bezhanyan Board Member Luys Alum 2011
Team
Anahit Galstyan Director of Communications Luys Alum 2012
Hayk Mikayelyan Director of Technologies Huys Scholar
Advisory Board
Emmanuel Tchividjian Ethics Advisor
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Amalya Kostanyan Science Advisor Luys Alum 2012
Ani Kharajian Finance Advisor
Nadine Koobatian Fundraising Advisor
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Throughout our history, Armenians have persevered and prospered by virtue of their knowledge and wisdom. For this reason, the Huys Foundation espouses educational excellence as the path forward, striving to serve and guide the Armenian nation through Education, to Eternity. Have your impact for the future. Donate online at huysfoundation.org or by check to: Huys Foundation 8605 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 11005 West Hollywood, CA 90069 United States
Huys Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations to Huys Foundation are 100% secure and tax-deductible for U.S. tax purposes as provided by law.
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THANK YOU