Hayk Smbatyan joined CRRC-Armenia first as Communications Specialist during 2018-2019. From 2019 onwards he was engaged in the Foundation’s activities as an Independent Researcher. Since July 2022, Hayk has been holding the position of Deputy Research Director at Foundation. In his current role, Hayk leads the operational oversight of the Foundation’s research department, implements research process management, mining and refinement, assures the quality, timeliness, and ethical clearance of the research department’s activities and results, coordinates the methodological and technical upskilling of the research team, and contributes to the interdepartmental collaboration within the Foundation.

Hayk is a PhD candidate in Sociology, who completed his PhD studies at Yerevan State University (YSU) in 2022 and is currently awaiting his viva voce examination. He holds a Master of Social Sciences degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from Uppsala University (Sweden), alongside a Master’s degree in Sociological Research Methodology and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology both from YSU. His doctoral thesis conceptualizes the social mobilization in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Having authored dozens of research publications in local and international academic journals as well as research and analytical reports and chapters, Hayk’s main research interests include causes and dynamics of armed conflicts, social movements, identity, human rights, and research methodologies.

With a research geography covering Armenia, South Caucasus, and the wider post-Soviet context, Hayk has an extensive portfolio of leading academic and practical research initiatives and has since 2013, been actively engaged with academia, research institutions, and civil society organizations in Armenia, Eastern Partnership countries, and the broader European context. Since 2019, Hayk has been involved with the Chair of Theory and History of Sociology at YSU, having taught undergraduate courses on “Academic Literacy”, “Research Planning and Methods”, “Conflict Studies”, “Society and Communication”, and “Economic Sociology”, as well as “Conflict Research Methods” graduate course in a certificate program offered by the YSU Center for Continuing Education. Since July 2025, Hayk is also an Associated Researcher at YSU Research Laboratory for Agency and Institutional Change.

He is fluent in Armenian and English, has a good knowledge of Russian, and a daily conversational knowledge of Swedish and Ukrainian.