CALLING ON ARMENIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
LALAI MANJIKIAN

Gibrahayer

For the past 14 years, the Hamazkayin Student Cultural Forum has
been bringing young Armenian university students from all over the
world together to discover and share their Armenian heritage directly
from the source. Students from North and South America, Australia,
Europe, Armenia, and Artsakh (Karabakh) converge in Yerevan for an
intense two-week journey through the immensely rich cultural landscape
of Armenia.

This summer program, specifically tailored for university students
of Armenian descent, entails complete cultural immersion and exposes
the participants to the creme de la creme of Armenian art and culture,
both classic and contemporary. Guided visits include trips to various
Armenian monasteries dating from medieval times, museums such as
the National Gallery of Armenia, National History Museum, Genocide
Museum, Aram Khachaturian Museum, Parajanov Museum, and Martiros
Saryan House-Museum. The Hamazkayin Forum even offers special access
to performances by the National Opera or by such ensembles as the
Sayat Nova folkloric music ensemble. Such unique events are followed
with a question and discussion period, allowing participants to more
closely learn about traditional Armenian culture.

Official visits to both the American University of Armenia and
Yerevan State University are also included in the program, allowing
the students to discover the college scene in the homeland. Daily
lectures by prominent Armenian scholars from the diaspora and Armenia
create opportunities to analyse and engage with questions such as
Armenian identity, language, religion, and history.

A visit to Armenia’s army battalions grants participants a rare glimpse
into the country’s military. Other excursions include the Tsakhkadzor
Summer Camp for children and the Armenian village of Aramous, where
Hamazkayin actively participates in the development of the village
and its school. After catching a play or concert, the participants
are bound to have a good time at one of Yerevan’s many restaurants,
where live Armenian music and dancing make the night complete.

Forum participants from various parts of the diaspora, as well as
from Armenia and Artsakh, bring their individual perspectives and
backgrounds to various issues, while new friendships and bonds are
created–all in an unforgettable and dynamic social atmosphere. The
sheer amount of local cultural and artistic talent found in Armenia is
at once mind-boggling as it is inspiring. And the Hamazkayin Forum
succeeds in exposing these treasures to the Armenian youth, who
undoubtedly leave with a renewed sense of their cultural identity,
ready to broaden their own interest and commitment towards Armenian
culture throughout the world.

This summer, come join the Hamazkayin family, along with fellow
Armenian university students from all over the Armenian Diaspora,
in Yerevan from July 13 to 16.

Students from Cyprus have been participating in the Forum since
1995. If you would like to participate in the Hamazkayin Forum, please
contact the committee of The Hamazkayin "Oshagan" Cyprus Chapter.