Styopa Safaryan is the founder and the director of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs -AIISA, Yerevan based independent research and security risk assessment institute.

Previously, he served as an MP in the Armenian National Assembly (2007-2012), a member of the Yerevan Municipal Council (2013-2017), and the research director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies-ACNIS (2003-2007).

From 2019 to 2021 Safaryan had presided the Public Council of the Republic of Armenia, a constitutional body designed for the consultancy of the Prime Minister and the government.

Since 2019 Safaryan has also been a senior expert of Agora Strategy Group, a global network for strategic political advisory, geopolitical risk analysis and business diplomacy, based in Berlin, Munich, Paris and Brussels.  

Having higher educational background and specialization in geology-geophysics (Yerevan State University), public administration and local governance (Armenian Academy for Public Administration), political science, conflict resolution, post-conflict reconstruction and development (University of York, UK) Mr. Safaryan has taught in different Universities and published more than 100 scientific articles, research and policy papers.