Dilijan Training and Research Center of the Central Bank of Armenia

Dilijan Training and Research Center of the Central Bank of Armenia (DTRC)

About DTRC

The Dilijan Training and Research Center is the Central Bank of Armenia’s unit dedicated to rigorous research and knowledge exchange, with a mission to create the analytical and evidence-based foundations for high-quality policy decisions. DTRC conducts policy and academic research on issues relevant to the Central Bank and Armenia’s broader policy agenda, while promoting research of a standard suitable for publication in leading academic journals. The Center also serves as a platform for knowledge exchange between researchers and policymakers, organizing research seminars, international conferences, summer and autumn schools, workshops, hackathons, and visiting researcher and internship programs, and building partnerships with leading universities, research institutions, and international organizations.

Project:

The student will work on a clearly defined, policy-relevant research project aligned with the research priorities of the Central Bank of Armenia. Projects may cover areas such as monetary policy, macroeconomics, financial stability, household and firm behavior, financial inclusion, digital payments, labor markets, and other areas of economic and public policy. Depending on the project, the intern may have the opportunity to work with unique administrative and micro-level datasets available at the CBA and apply modern empirical and quantitative methods. The specific project will be selected jointly based on the CBA’s research agenda and the student’s academic background and interests, with the objective of producing a substantive research output with potential for policy application and/or academic publication.

The intern will contribute to the full research cycle under the guidance of CBA researchers. Specific tasks will include conducting a targeted review of the academic and policy literature; refining the research question and hypotheses; preparing, cleaning, and documenting relevant datasets; conducting descriptive, econometric, and other quantitative analyses; performing robustness checks; interpreting and discussing the findings with the research team; and preparing a research paper or policy paper summarizing the methodology, results, and policy implications. The intern will participate in DTRC research seminars and discussions throughout the internship and, at the end of the program, present the project and its key findings to CBA management.

Eligibility & Skills Required:

The internship is open to continuing undergraduate and graduate students. Students from any department are welcome to apply. Applicants must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.3 or higher.

We are looking for a student with strong analytical and quantitative skills, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine interest in policy-relevant research. The intern should have a solid background in economics, finance, public policy, data science, or a related field; familiarity with econometrics and quantitative research methods; and experience using analytical software such as Stata, R, or Python. We particularly value the ability to work independently, think critically about research questions, communicate findings clearly, and collaborate effectively with researchers and policymakers. Prior research experience is desirable but not required.

Language Requirement:

N/A. English proficiency is sufficient for the internship.

Location:

The internship is located in Dilijan, Armenia

The Central Bank of Armenia will provide the student with accommodation on the campus of the Dilijan Training and Research Center for the duration of the internship.

Visa information:

Visa requirements will depend on the student’s nationality. For U.S. citizens, no visa is required to enter Armenia for the internship. If a visa is required based on the student’s nationality, the Central Bank of Armenia can provide an official invitation letter to facilitate the visa application process; however, the student will be responsible for applying for and obtaining the required visa.

Stipend:

FSI is committed to providing its opportunities to students regardless of financial constraints.  FSI’s Global Policy Interns are provided with a stipend to cover travel and living expenses during the summer.  These stipends do not exceed $7,000 per student.  Students must submit a budget with their estimated costs along with their application.  If you have financial constraints that you think may prevent you from participating in this program, please contact FSI academic program manager Patrick Laboon directly.

Application:

Applicants will be asked to submit:

• Application Form
• Name of faculty reference (letter of recommendation not required)
• CV/Resume
• Unofficial Transcript
• Budget

Frequently Asked Questions

Please note: You may only apply to one FSI Global Policy Internship.