PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Studies Program
Gloria Caudill, Administrator
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
[email protected]
(734) 763-0622
A MUCH NEEDED PROJECT TO STUDY "THE STATE OF ARMENIAN STUDIES" GLOBALLY
The Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
in collaboration with the National Association for Armenian Studies
and Research and other major institutions and organizations has
embarked on an ambitious project to study "The State of Armenian
Studies."
Universities and the Academy of Sciences in Armenia have departments
and institutes that deal with the subject. In the Diaspora, a large
number of organizations, endowed chairs, and programs in academic
institutions and outside devote substantial resources to promote
Armenian Studies.
In the past the National Association for Armenian Studies and
Research, the National Academy of Science of Armenia, the
International Association for Armenian Studies have organized
conferences and colloquia to study various aspects of the field; so
have individual scholars. Based on these efforts and undertaking
comprehensive surveys and analyses, the University of Michigan project
aims at producing a first of its kind comprehensive and global Report
on the "State of Armenian Studies" and making it available to all
concerned by the end of 2009 with the cooperation of organizations,
institutions, and scholars involved in Armenian Studies worldwide.
That report will encompass a quantitative as well as a qualitative
analysis of the whole array of activities, from existing programs and
their activities, books and articles published in the last decades,
programs and chairs established, to gaps in knowledge, relationship
between current output and advances in the social sciences and
humanities in general, and future needs.
To produce that report, the Armenian Studies Program at the University
of Michigan invited an initial, organizational meeting of
organizations and institutions that might contribute to the planning
of and logistical support to the project. That first meeting was held
on September 19 and 20 on the campus of the University of Michigan.
Participating in the first meeting of the workshop were
representatives of the National Academy of Sciences (Prof. Ruben
Safrastyan), Yerevan State University (Prof. Albert Stepanyan), the
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (Belmont,
Mass., Marc Mamigonian), the Society for Armenian Studies (US, Barlow
Der Mgrtichian), the Society for Armenian Studies (Europe, Seta Claire
Mouradian), the Armenian Research Center, University of
Michigan-Dearborn (Prof. Ara Sanjian and Gerald Ottenbreit), and the
Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
(Professors Gerard Libaridian and Kevork Bardakjian). The Director of
the Matenadaran in Armenia, Dr. Hrach Tamrazian, was unable to attend
due to a scheduling conflict, but pledged his support to the
project. The president of the International Association of Armenian
Studies, Prof. Valentina Calzolari, based in Geneva, could not attend
because of a personal emergency but sent a full commentary on the
questions posed and is fully engaged in the process.
During the next months the project will be made operational; Armenian
Studies chair holders, program directors and individual scholars will
be asked to contribute to the preparation of the draft report. A
second, expanded meeting of the workshop will convene in the spring of
2009 to discuss and review the draft Report.
"It is obvious that Armenian Studies is critical to scholarship that
will help us understand and interpret the Armenian past, culture and
identity," stated Prof. Gerard Libaridian, Director of the Armenian
Studies Program at the University of Michigan and director of the
project.
"But Armenian Studies also constitutes an integral part of the life of
our people in Armenia and in communities in the Diaspora. Scholarship
has been critical in the way the Armenian nation articulated itself in
the modern era; policy and agenda making interact on so many
levels. This is the time to do an inventory of our resources, think
about the problems, and propose solutions," he said. "We are delighted
to have the support of all institutions and organizations concerned
and I am confident we will have the support of individual scholars as
well to produce as comprehensive, thoughtful, and useful Report as
possible."
This workshop is being supported by the Harry Ardashes Paul Memorial
Fund of the Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor.