Democracy Development Foundation Board of Trustees
ANNA PAMBUKHCHYAN, Board Chair
Anna Pambukhchyan joined the European Institute of Peace in April 2020 as Regional Analyst for Eastern Europe and was later promoted to the position of Programme Assistant-Regional Analysis on Eastern Neighbourhood. She has an experience of working as a consultant with European Endowment for Democracy and as a researcher with International Crisis Group and Freedom House. Formerly she worked as monitoring programmes coordinator at “Union of Informed Citizens,” currently one of the biggest and most successful CSOs in Armenia, focused on combating disinformation, promoting reforms, monitoring, and improving electoral processes.
Her professional and academic interests include conflicts in the Eastern Partnership region, the influence of the media and internet on politics, conflicts and national identity.
Anna is a graduate of College of Europe and Central European University. She holds degrees in International Relations and European Studies.
LANA KARLOVA, Board Member
Lana Karlova is a Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia. Before that, she has been in charge of the coordination of the Tempus program that provides EU grants for Higher education institutions and has been responsible for supporting institutions in implementation of joint international projects and promoting Bologna reforms.
She graduated from American University of Armenia and holds Master degree in Political Science and External Affairs (1996). Before she graduated from Yerevan State University and holds Master degree in Russian Language and Literature (1986).
YERVAND SHIRINYAN, Board Member
Yervand Shirinyan is a managing director at Araminta, a Berlin-based organization dedicated to human rights and democratic resilience. Previously, he held multiple roles at the Open Society Foundations. Most recently, Shirinyan served as the division director for Europe and Central Asia program, where he led the strategic planning and implementation for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Between 2021 and 2024, he was the acting director of the Open Society Foundations-Armenia, helping it successfully spinoff into an independent organization. Earlier, Shirinyan helped establish and serve as the deputy director of the Open Society Human Rights Initiative, a global program designed to support human rights movements through a set of innovative initiatives.
Between 2001 and 2007, Shirinyan worked on human rights and accountability issues in Europe and Eurasia and played a leading role in initiatives across the region. Shirinyan received his MBA in international management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, Ohio, in association with the Central European University in Budapest. He also holds an MST in international human rights law from the University of Oxford.
RUBEN BABAYAN, Board Member
Ruben Babayan is director, honored worker of Art of the Republic of Armenia, art director of Yerevan State Puppet Theatre after Tumanyan.
Since 1991, he has been working at the Yerevan State Puppet Theater as a director, and since 1998 as an art director and director.
Since 1995, he has been teaching at the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinema. Since 2003, he is the head of the “Acting Mastery and Directing” chair, a professor at the same institute. He has been an individual member of UNIMA (UNESCO) since 1991,. He is a famous cultural and public figure.
He graduated from Yerevan V. Brusov Institute of Foreign Languages, then Russian Theater Academy.
ANNA MINASYAN, Board Member
Anna Minasyan is a sociologist and senior research and policy expert with over twenty years of experience in applied social research, policy analysis, and institutional development. Her expertise spans the NGO, private, and public sectors, with a focus on strengthening evidence-based decision-making in areas such as public finance, migration management, social policy, and governance. She has led and authored numerous research studies and evaluations at the intersection of policy, research, and civic engagement.
As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Democracy Development Foundation, she contributes strategic, analytical, and governance expertise in support of democratic development, institutional resilience, and informed public dialogue.
She holds an MA in Sociology and Conflict Resolution and Management from Yerevan State University, and is the founder of Advanced Social Technologies, an NGO, and Mosaic, a private research house.