As part of its new policy to strengthen ties with academic institutions in Armenia, the Society for Armenian Studies signed an Agreement on Cooperation on January 13 with the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation. The Agreement aims at cooperating on different academic projects that would be beneficial to both parties and advance the field of Armenian Genocide studies.

The scope of the cooperation includes, but is not limited to, exchange of mutual information on academic activities carried out by both parties; exchange and loans of books relevant to both parties; exchange of knowledge and expertise with respect to Armenian Genocide; sharing of advice, educational consultation, and research about the Armenian Genocide study and research; cooperation through local and international conferences and symposia to advance the field of genocide studies in general and Armenian Genocide studies in particular; mutual cooperation to educate the general public about the Armenian Genocide; and close cooperation and coordination between the “Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies” published by the prestigious Brill publishing house and the “International Journal of Armenia Genocide Studies,” “Ts’eghaspanagitakan Handes,” both published by the AGMI.

Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Director of Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno, will serve as the liaison on behalf of the SAS while Dr. Edita Gzoyan, Deputy Scientific Director of The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation and the editor of IJAGS will serve on behalf of the AGMI.

Commenting on the Agreement, SAS President Bedross Der Matossian said, “We are looking forward to cooperate with The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation on academic issues pertaining to genocide studies in general and the Armenian Genocide in particular. This is part of our new policy to strengthen ties with different academic institutions in Armenia. This cooperation will be mutually beneficial to all of us. The Society for Armenian Studies has members whose research deals with the Armenian Genocide. Through harnessing the existing potential of scholars from both bodies, the field of the Armenian Genocide Studies will advance in the right direction.”

Professor Harutyun Marutyan, Director of The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation, welcomed the Cooperation Agreement stating, “The challenges facing researchers in the field of Armenian Studies in the 21st century require new, modern approaches and the consolidation of Armenian potential. The shaping of the Armenian factor in the field of humanities, taking world experience into account, is one of the priorities of our time. The study and popularization of Armenian history, culture and the issues of the Armenian Genocide are among the imperatives for both the AGMI and SAS. We are sure that the goals and intentions mentioned in the Cooperation Agreement, signed between the two institutions, will be realized and will contribute to the expansion of ties between researchers on both sides and the development of Armenian Studies in general.”

The SAS, founded in 1974, is the international professional association representing scholars and teachers in the field of Armenian Studies. The aim of the SAS is to promote the study of Armenian culture and society, including history, language, literature, and social, political, and economic questions.

If you are interested in contributing to the activities of SAS please contact Prof. Bedross Der Matossian at bdermatossian2@unl.edu.

Information about the SAS can be found on its website at societyforarmenianstudies.com or by following the SAS on its Facebook page, @societyforarmenianstudies.