PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
395 Concord Ave.
Belmont, MA 02478
Phone: 617-489-1610
E-mail: [email protected]
Contact: Marc Mamigonian
GERARD LIBARIDIAN TO OFFER SEMINAR
ON “ARMENIA TODAY: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS”
AT NAASR CENTER
Prof. Gerard J. Libaridian, Alex Manoogian Visiting Professor of
Modern Armenian History at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, will
conduct a one-day seminar on “Armenia Today: Problems and Prospects”
at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. It
will take place on Saturday, October 9, 2004, at the NAASR Center,
395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA. The seminar will run from 9 a.m. until
4 p.m. with breaks for coffee and lunch.
Prof. Libaridian’s seminar will serve as a follow-up to his
well-received October 2003 seminar “Making Sense of the Armenian
Republic,” at the end of which Libaridian said he had only gotten
through a portion of what he had to say on the subject. “Armenia Today:
Problems and Prospects” offers both to those who attended last year’s
seminar as well as newcomers the opportunity to gain even greater
understanding of the complexities of modern Armenia.
In addition to Libaridian, NAASR’s program of adult education seminars
and mini-courses has included such authorities as Harvard University
Prof. James R. Russell, Prof. Simon Payaslian of Clark University,
Dr. Suzanne Moranian, and Dr. Barbara Merguerian. This series of
courses represents a new aspect of NAASR’s ongoing efforts to give
the public access to leading Armenian Studies scholars and their
research in an in-depth and meaningful fashion.
Focus on Recent Developments in Armenia and Karabagh
The seminar will explore the most recent developments in the Armenian
Republic in the areas of politics, economics, and foreign policy,
including the Karabagh negotiations. It will attempt to view these
developments from a variety of perspectives which will lead to
assessments regarding future developments.
Special attention will be paid to the actions and strategies of the
opposition parties and the response of the government beginning in
April 2004, the implications of these positions for the development
of democracy and economic viability, as well as for the resolution
of the Karabagh problem.
Experienced Scholar and Policy Maker
Gerard J. Libaridian received a Ph.D. degree in history from the
University of California, Los Angeles, and served as an advisor to
President Levon Ter Petrossian of Armenia from 1991 to September 1997.
During his time as a presidential advisor he served as Senior Advisor
for foreign policy and security issues (1994-97), First Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs (1993-94), negotiator for the Karabagh conflict,
and coordinator of conflict-related policy in the office of the
President. He is the author of Armenia at the Crossroads: Democracy
and Nationhood in the Post-Soviet Era, The Challenge of Statehood:
Armenian Political Thinking Since Independence, and most recently
Modern Armenia: People, Nation, State.
Admission is open to all, but enrollment will be limited in order to
encourage active discussion and interaction. It is strongly urged
that participants register by October 1. Please contact NAASR for
information about registration fees.
The NAASR Center is located near Belmont Center and is directly
opposite the First Armenian Church and next to the U.S. Post Office.
Ample parking is available around the building and in adjacent areas.
More information on Prof. Libaridian’s seminar or about NAASR and
its programs for the furtherance of Armenian studies, research, and
publication may be had by calling 617-489-1610, by fax at 617-484-1759,
by e-mail at [email protected], or by writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave.,
Belmont, MA 02478.