By Eva White, Undergraduate student in the UT Slavic and Eurasian Studies Department and Government Department

Having long been immersed in academic study of the post-Soviet space, interested in energy policy and nuclear transition, and seeking to grow my Russian language skills in an immersive environment, I was completely thrilled to be selected for the National Democratic Institute’s fellowship program in Yerevan, Armenia. I boarded the plane, a 23-hour travel day ahead of me, excited to address challenges to democratization and explore international relations and domestic politics in Armenia as an NDI research fellow. Beyond that, I hoped to have the opportunity to nurture my personal academic interest in energy security. Concomitantly, I was looking forward to diving into the history, culture, and atmosphere of a region entirely new to me and learning as much as possible outside of the office as well. 

Our first impressions of Yerevan included the importance of cafe culture (we became regulars at Green Bean and Surf Coffee), the incredible cuisine (veal barbecue was a personal favorite), and the boundless hospitality of Armenians. Greta and Mariam at NDI immediately jumped into action welcoming us to the city, finding us local activities to participate in, and helping us settle into the office environment, where we met the rest of the amazing staff. 

As research fellows, our role at the office typically consisted of assisting with interpretation and analysis of survey data, as well as supporting the NDI staff with various projects. Over the course of the two months, we helped Vahan sort through the results of extensive surveying conducted over a seven-year period and draw tangible conclusions on multiple areas relevant to democracy and governance in Armenia. My portion of the project involved addressing trends in the shifting perceptions of security and peace in the region between 2018 and 2024, and I presented these findings alongside my colleagues in the final week of our internship experience. 

In addition to our direct work at the NDI office, each fellow was granted opportunities to explore research in areas of personal interest. For me, that meant energy security and its relationship to democratic strength–a particularly relevant topic in contemporary Armenia–and I was lucky enough to explore this connection further via collaboration with both NDI and Kinetic, an energy consulting group.

My research focused on great power competition in the nuclear sector, domestic energy security in Armenia, and the influence of both on democratization. I gained significant knowledge in these areas and found this prong of the internship to be highly fulfilling and fascinating, and I intend to continue engaging with these topics in the upcoming semester as a Brumley Next Generation Scholar through UT’s Strauss Center for International Security and Law.

In addition to our everyday work at the office, we had opportunities to grow our professional experience through networking events, meetings with officials and experts knowledgeable in our fields, and visits to important sites including the Armenian Parliament. Furthermore, we had the rare opportunity to participate in the election observation mission during the June 2026 parliamentary elections. I was paired with a local in order to avoid a language barrier, and we visited several polling stations within Yerevan over the course of the day to check for compliance to free and fair election guidelines. The day was a long one, beginning at six in the morning and ending after three in the morning of the next day, but I was grateful to be a part of such an important and interesting process. 

Although Yerevan was our home base, we tried to make the most of our time in the region by organizing several day trips around the country. Vahan was generous enough to drive Caleb, Meera and myself to his city, Gyumri, where we spent an eventful day visiting stunning churches, exploring massive monuments, and, for my part, finding a horse jawbone beneath the Soviet-era Iron Fountain (see below). We also took guided tours to the most recognizable churches and monuments across Armenia and traveled with the Armenian Assembly of America to the border demarcation zone with Azerbaijan to visit with the border guards and see geopolitical developments in action.

My favorite day trip, and favorite day in Armenia as a whole, was when Meera’s election observation partner gave us a personal tour of some of the most interesting and less visited sites near Yerevan. This included seeing a church reconstruction site in early stages, exploring an abandoned Soviet Radio Optical Observatory, and eating a traditional lunch of tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, and lavash beside a beautiful river. 

We also took two weekend trips outside of Armenia during our time as fellows: the first to Tbilisi, Georgia and the second to Larnaca, Cyprus. Our visit to Georgia provided greater insight into the Caucasus as a larger region, and our interactions with locals and time spent exploring Tbilisi highlighted the similarities and differences between Georgia and Armenia. One of the most noticeable differences was the perception of Russia in Tbilisi, which was a lot more negative than in Yerevan. While in Georgia, we were impressed by the gorgeous architecture and delicious food and were able to see all of the major tourist sites even with only two days to work with. Our weekend visit to Cyprus was equally as exciting, although perhaps less academically insightful. We had a fantastic time trying oysters, swimming at the beach, and petting all the cats (there are over a million in Cyprus!). 

Overall, I had an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience both living in Armenia for the summer and working as a research fellow for NDI. Everyone at NDI was exceptionally kind and helpful, and pushed us to grow academically and professionally wherever they could. NDI offered the space, mentorship, and opportunities to hone our research skills, expand our knowledge, and develop as young professionals. I return to Austin with a greater understanding of democratization, local governance, Armenian politics, and energy and national security. I also return with a deep love for the country of Armenia–its food, its culture, the beautiful pink streets of Yerevan, the street dogs and cats everywhere you go–and more than anything with a deep appreciation for everyone at NDI and all the people in Armenia who made this experience all that it was and made us feel comfortable and kept us engaged every single day. 

I feel confident I will return to Armenia before too many years have elapsed, and I strongly encourage others (especially those interested in the post-Soviet space or attempting to learn the Russian language like me) to add a trip to this stunning country to their bucket list. I will forever be grateful for the invaluable experience that the Embedded Scholars program has provided me, and the lessons I have learned and insight I have gained through my internship are certain to bolster my academic and professional pursuits and help me to achieve my goals as a student and young professional.