“Unrecognized” education: Why an Artsakh diploma blocked Anush’s international career

2026-03-17 - 14:01

Three months into her studies at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), Anush Petrosyan was called into the dean’s office and told she could no longer attend classes. For the student displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the reason was as unexpected as it was devastating: Her diploma from Artsakh State University lacked international recognition. Anush never imagined she would one day take an interest in journalism, let alone participate in an international program. She has been displaced from her home twice: first from her native Shushi and a second time from Stepanakert, where she had moved following the 2020 44-day war. “The last time I was displaced was on Sept. 28, 2023,” she said. Anush graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Artsakh State University, specializing in English language and literature. While living in Stepanakert, she developed an interest in journalism. During the blockade, she participated in journalism courses, documented unfolding reality, contributed to CivilNet and produced podcasts. This immersion deepened her interest in media and led her to pursue further education in journalism. “I had heard about GIPA through friends,” Anush recalled. “They were very satisfied, but most of them were living in Armenia, not Artsakh. They told me the university was excellent and provided essential knowledge for the region,” Anush told the Weekly. In May 2024, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan announced a master’s program in multimedia journalism and media management at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented through the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management (CSJMM). Since 2002, more than 200 students have graduated from CSJMM’s English-language regional program. According to the organizers, most graduates now hold leading positions in regional and international media outlets. A key requirement for the program was an excellent command of English, which posed no challenge for Anush. Once the application opened, she began compiling the necessary documents, as the process appeared straightforward. Shortly afterward, she was notified that her application had been approved and was invited to an interview at the embassy. “I went and passed the interview. They were all aware that I am from Artsakh and that I held no diploma other than the one from Artsakh State University,” Anush said. “They asked the standard interview questions. When they asked about my future plans, my answers were entirely rooted in Artsakh.” Anush never expected any issues to arise; she had been completely transparent about her background and her status as an Artsakh resident. Ultimately, she was selected as one of the program’s beneficiaries. By September 2024, she was already in Tbilisi, having resigned from her job in Armenia to focus entirely on her studies. The U.S. Embassy covered the students’ financial needs by providing a scholarship. Anush said she received a full monthly stipend that covered food, rent, utilities and academic expenses. She said the student body at GIPA was multinational; in addition to Georgians, there were also students from Azerbaijan. “Even during the interview stage, they asked whether we understood we would be studying alongside representatives of the other nation [Azerbaijan] and if we were prepared for formal interaction. We gave our consent during the interview phase,” Anush explained. “Because everything — the displacement, the past — was still very fresh, I tried to remain neutral and avoid conflicts or sensitive topics. Overall, there were no issues, and I moved quickly into the phase of gathering my documents,” she said. One November day, Anush was summoned to the dean’s office and informed that her documents had been rejected. Until that point, there had been no issues, making the news entirely unexpected. “My classmates and I had our documents translated in Yerevan and submitted them. The procedure required the Georgian Ministry of Education to verify them,” Anush said. Officials pointed to alleged errors in the translation. Anush traveled back and forth to Yerevan several times, rushing to get new translations done over the weekends before returning to Georgia. “I covered all the costs myself — both travel expenses and translation fees. The translation and notarization were quite expensive,” she said. To this day, Anush says she does not understand the real underlying issue. At times, she was told the translation was incorrect; at other times, different explanations were given. In November, she was escorted to the office and handed a rejection notice. “They told me I had to go and pick up my papers because they had been rejected — supposedly due to a translation error,” she recalled. Anush then approached the Georgian Ministry of Education and Science. “The staff spoke almost no English or Russian, so we barely managed to understand each other. They handed me the rejection document. When I tried to explain that it was just a language issue, they ushered me out,” she said. After her documents were returned, the university dean and administration intervened and contacted the U.S. Embassy. The embassy suggested obtaining a certificate from the Armenian Ministry of Education confirming that the diploma was recognized. Anush returned to Yerevan, making several trips to the Ministry and engaging in extensive correspondence. As a result, she obtained two documents: one from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport (MoESCS), and another from the National Information Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility (ARMENIC). The second required a fee, which she paid. She received both documents in Armenian and English, had them translated again and brought them back to Georgia. By early February, with the first semester already concluded, she discovered that even with these official Armenian government documents, her application had been rejected once again. During this period, Anush continued attending classes, passing all her exams and maintaining her grades to avoid falling behind. The true reason finally surfaced later: The rejection letter had been sent to the university rather than to Anush herself. It stated that under certain international conventions and protocols, her diploma could not be recognized. Between December and January and into the following year, Anush reached out to numerous institutions. She first contacted the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan. who advised her to appeal to every possible state and diplomatic body. “I was simply bewildered at the time; I didn’t know who to turn to, and no one else had faced a problem quite like this,” she said. The Armenian Embassy in Georgia initially promised assistance. However, after learning that Anush had applied to several official bodies, officials informed her that the issue had been “voiced too loudly” and they could no longer help. A letter sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs resulted only in the Georgian rejection document being handed over a second time, after which communication stopped entirely. Anush does not currently hold Armenian citizenship; she possesses only a document confirming her temporary protection status. However, this was not the reason for the rejection. With this document, she had crossed the Georgian border multiple times without any issues. Officially, however, there are no systemic barriers for Artsakh graduates seeking international programs. According to the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, no cases have been recorded of graduates from Nagorno-Karabakh higher education institutions being excluded from international programs. The ministry confirmed that the Committee of Higher Education and Science has received no formal complaints regarding such issues. Under Order N 52-L, issued on Nov. 14, 2023, a procedure exists to provide duplicate graduation documents for people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, allowing officials to verify a diploma’s authenticity. Furthermore, the ministry also emphasizes that diplomas from higher education institutions in Nagorno-Karabakh are recognized within Armenia as valid proof of higher education without additional procedures. Anush Petrosyan’s story illustrates how displaced students can face unforeseen administrative and bureaucratic obstacles, even when official recognition frameworks exist.