The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
(A Division of the Zoryan Institute)
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736
E-mail: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Torrey Swan
DATE: May 10, 2006
Tel: 416-250-9807
New Scholarships On A First Come First Served Basis For Summer 2006 Students
The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (IIGHRS)
(A Division of the Zoryan Institute) is pleased to announce the availability
of new scholarship funding for selected students attending the Genocide and
Human Rights University Program (GHRUP) in Toronto, July 31-August 11, 2006.
Accordingly, the application deadline has been extended to Monday June 26,
2006 and eligible students are advised to register immediately.
“We have recently received donations and grants which have enabled us to
increase scholarships opportunities for deserving students,” stated Dr.
Roger W. Smith, Director of the GHRUP. “Such support affirms the universal
benefit of this unique program, which exposes students to the value of
international law and justice and increases their awareness of the nature of
genocide, the importance of human rights and the necessity of genocide
prevention.”
“We are most grateful for this recent support, including $5,000 from the
Agemian Organization, one complete sponsorship for a student from South
America by Diran Avedian, a $4,000 allocation out of a $10,000 grant by
Babayan Foundation, $1,000 from the Canadian Armenian Business Council of
Ontario, $5,000 from The Gilmour Foundation, $5,000 from the International
Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (an agency of the
Canadian Government), $7,500 from Vahan and Susie Kololian, and $7,500 from
Andre and Seza Nazarian. We hope that other individuals and organizations
will also come forward to provide help for more students, for whom the cost
of the course is prohibitive,” commented George Shirinian, Executive
Director of the IIGHRS.
Some of the scholarships are specified to cover the cost of tuition and
accommodation, including breakfast, for selected students of Armenian,
Bosnian, Israeli, Rwandan, South American, and Turkish descent.
This two-week, interdisciplinary program provides participants with the
intellectual framework for understanding the numerous, complex, and often
emotional issues related to genocide and gross human rights violations. An
examination of several major case studies, including the Armenian, Jewish,
Cambodian and Rwandan Genocides, provides the foundation for comparative
analysis. Students attending the course have the option of receiving four
graduate semester credits from the University of Minnesota.
To be eligible, candidates must be currently enrolled in an accredited
university, and have completed at least their junior (3rd) undergraduate
year. Selection will be based on a combination of strength of interest,
scholastic aptitude, and relevance of the course to the candidate’s future.
Applicants should send a brief explanation of why they deserve a
scholarship, along with the other required documents found under the
Registration section at
The mission of the Genocide and Human Rights University Program is to help
develop a new generation of scholars to engage in research and publication
in the field of genocide and human rights studies. The program strives to
show, through the study and sharing of the genocidal traumas of many
peoples, that genocide and the gross violation of human rights is a
universal human experience and that, as such, it must be the concern of all
individuals and institutions. The program will appeal to a wide variety of
students interested in various cases of genocide and the broader issues of
human rights.
Details and registration information, as well as how to donate, are
available on the program’s web site, For more
information, contact the IIGHRS (A Division of The Zoryan Institute),
416-250-9807, [email protected].