Jarchafjian to Speak at Five Universities
Lorik Humanitarian Fund founder Shant Jarchafjian will tour five eastern U.S. universities from November 10 to 16, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Scholarships
Shant Jarchafjian, founder of Lorik Humanitarian Fund, will embark on a five-university speaking tour across the eastern United States from November 10 to 16. The tour coincides with the organization's distribution of educational scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year.
Why it matters
The Lorik Humanitarian Fund supports students forcibly displaced from Artsakh after the September 2023 military offensive, which displaced more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians. Scholarship assistance helps reduce financial pressure on displaced households pursuing higher education.
Six students have received a combined $5,924 in scholarship assistance in the initial 2026-27 round, compared with 114 scholarships totaling $60,810 in the previous academic year. Additional awards depend on available funding, and total 2026-27 awards have not been announced.
The players
Shant Jarchafjian
Founder of Lorik Humanitarian Fund, who lived in Artsakh from 2020 until September 2023 and advocates for displaced Armenians.
Lorik Humanitarian Fund
A humanitarian organization providing scholarships and programs, including a judo initiative, to people affected by the displacement from Artsakh.
The details
Jarchafjian lived in Artsakh from 2020 until September 2023 and presented at Santa Monica College on October 27. The organization also launched a judo program in Bertavan, Armenia, distributing 28 uniforms under coach Sose Balasanyan, and three of the six initial scholarship recipients are children of fallen Armenian soldiers.
Timeline
October 27, 2026: Presentation at Santa Monica College.
November 10-16, 2026: Five-university speaking tour across eastern United States.
Season Trajectory
The Lorik Humanitarian Fund's education work follows the mass displacement of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians during the September 2023 military offensive in Artsakh. Its 2026-27 scholarship round extends a program that awarded 114 scholarships totaling $60,810 in the prior academic year.
Students and educators at the listed universities can attend the November 10-16 presentations to learn about the organization's work. Prospective scholarship applicants should note that awards depend on available funding and are distributed through the Aznavour Saghyan Scholarship Fund.
The takeaway
Scholarship programs for displaced students can offer concrete financial relief while sustaining educational continuity. Readers interested in similar causes can look to organizations that disclose award totals and recipient counts to evaluate impact.
What happens next
Jarchafjian's speaking tour takes place November 10-16, 2026, with stops at George Washington University, Columbia University, Fordham University, and Rutgers University. Additional scholarship awards for the 2026-27 year depend on available funding.
Further reading
Explore more on Scholarships for students pursuing higher education.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Armenian Weekly.
