• am
  • ru
  • en
print version
19.02.2015

PROSPECTS OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN ARMENIA AND CENTERS FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES IN AMERICA

EnglishРуский

   

Tigran Ghanalanyan
Expert, Center for Armenian Studies, Noravank Foundation

There are about forty centers for Armenian Studies in both Americas: the USA, Argentina, Brazil and Canada. Many of these centers established in late 20th and early 21st centuries are active in scientific research and education. Some of them succeeded in forming certain traditions and some of the newly established ones attempt using unique approaches to Armenian Studies thus enriching the existing kit of the research methods.

Centers for Armenian Studies in Americas have a great potential for developing Armenian Studies generally, and furthermore, for presenting the achievements of this field to the world. Obviously, the potential of Armenian Studies in the USA, Canada and Latin American countries and the organizational units have some serious problems in facing the modern challenges of Armenian Studies. As one would expect, currently the main hub for development of Armenian Studies is Armenia. The latter needs to keep attention on the activities of the centers for Armenian Studies abroad and must constantly launch initiatives for collaboration with all such units to the largest possible extent. There a lot of things to do in this area.

The first prerequisite for cooperation is mutual awareness, learning the peculiarities of one or another center abroad and development of mechanisms for increasing effectiveness of their activities. At the same time it is preferable to involve the local communities in the cooperation. This concerns all the countries where large Armenian communities exist. We believe there are opportunities for increased cooperation with various community structures both in the USA and other countries where the number of Armenian is significantly smaller.

The centers for Armenian Studies in Americas face a number of problems, in tackling of which both local communities and Republic of Armenia can play important roles. We believe it is first of all important that centers for Armenian Studies abroad are made aware of the Armenian Studies achievements in Armenia. Delivering articles, periodicals and other materials on Armenian Studies published in Armenia to these centers is of primary importance. This can be implemented also by posting the digital versions of such materials on internet, which is currently done in part. It would be natural to expect the students and scientific staff of the centers for Armenian Studies to have good command of Armenian language. However, understanding the actual situation and aiming to make these works available to a wider (including non-Armenian) audience, it is crucial to translate the original sources and scientific literature on Armenian Studies into English. Quite often insufficient comprehension of one or another issue among the American experts of Armenian Studies is due to inaccessibility of literature on a given topic for them.

Mutual sharing of information could be an important prerequisite to resolve existing disagreements and attain real scientific achievements. Not only scholars in Armenia should familiarize themselves with the works published in the USA in English language, but also the American representatives of Armenian Studies should be familiar with works on their studied topics done in Armenia.

Translation of works on Armenian Studies and especially the original Armenian sources in English is very important.

The struggle against Turkish falsifications of history is one of the challenges that American centers for Armenian Studies face. This has to be scientifically based and at the same time, in cooperation with various Armenian community organizations it may play a significant publicity role. This issue is well recognized by the representatives of the centers1.

From the perspective of training specialists of Armenian Studies, it would be beneficial to organize internships in Armenia for trainees of the American centers for Armenian Studies, particularly the PhD students, who could work in Matenadaran and other academic and educational institutions, National Archives of Armenia and elsewhere. This would also help them learn Armenian through language courses organized in situ. At the same time, within the framework of these internships they would have the opportunity to interact and have discussions with the experts of Armenian Studies in Armenia.

Further development and effective activities of centers for Armenian Studies in Americas require financial support. The necessity for targeted financing has to be emphasized here. Establishment of a grant handling body (in whatever format), where Armenian experts would also be represented, could also contribute to implementation of research on contemporary and important topics. This would help use the donations from numerous Armenians of America in a more efficient manner.

Compared to the USA, centers for Armenian Studies in Argentine and Brazil would, perhaps, need more financing from Armenia or one of the structures in Armenia could be assigned to coordinate efforts for solving their financial problems. For example, the recently established Chair for Armenian Studies at Rosario National University has launched vigorous activities using the local potential. Such centers not only help carry out scientific work, but also disseminate information, and providing financial assistance to such centers could be quite effective2.

Establishment of independent centers for Armenian Studies might also be effective, as they would act within the framework of interests of Armenian community and Armenia without subordination to any other structure. They can conduct studies that are important for Armenian communities and Armenia3. Creation of such centers is first of all relevant for the USA, which hosts one of the most powerful Armenian Diasporas in the world.

It is imperative that scholars of Armenian Studies in Armenia keep the results of research done in America in the focus of their attention. These works must be sent to Armenia and it is also desirable to publish reviews on those authored by representatives of the Armenian school of Armenian Studies4. Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn exemplifies the literature exchange with both Armenian and foreign centers for Armenian Studies, and it is also demonstrates much willingness for other formats of cooperation5.

Internet presence is of primary importance for centers of Armenian Studies in foreign countries in terms of awareness about their activities, and expansion of cooperation with scientific and educational institutions of Armenia. It has to be noted that centers for Armenian Studies in Americas are in most cases sufficiently represented on the internet. However, there are still things to be done in this area. In particular, there are some centers that do not have separate websites, or even do not have a webpage in the site of a larger institution, say, the university, which they are part of.

In summary, centers for Armenian Studies in Americas are a combination of different types of structural units. Certain traditions have already been formed at these institutions. The centers for Armenian Studies in the USA are definitely the leading ones in terms of the potential and they have gained certain weight in the Armenian Studies work generally, which increases their responsibility with every project they implement. The potential for Armenian Studies in other countries of both Americas is substantially smaller, due to some obvious reasons. An increase of interest towards Armenian Studies is observed, as new centers are established. At the same time, there is a decline of activities at some centers. It can be stated that boosting cooperation between centers for Armenian Studies in Armenia and abroad is an urgent matter.

1 Տե՛ս Papazian D., The role of organizations, institutions and research centers in Armenian studies in the United States, «Հայագիտության արդի վիճակը և զարգացման հեռանկարները» միջազգային համաժողովի զեկուցումների ժողովածու, Երևան, 2004, էջ 307։

2 Information about this center’s activities and current problems was provided on September 30, 2014 by Dr. Demirdjian, Head of the Chair for Armenian Studies at Rosario National University.

3 See: Հովհաննիսյան Ռ., Հայագիտությունը խաչմերուկում, «Հայագիտության արդի վիճակը և զարգացման հեռանկարները» միջազգային համաժողովի զեկուցումների ժողովածու, Երևան, 2004, էջ 95։

4 Several such reviews have been published in Armenian Studies media (see, for example: Տեր-Ղևոնդյան Ա., Գրախոսություն։ Agathangelos, History of the Armenians, translation and commentary by R.W. Thomson, Albany, State University of New York Press, 1976, 527р., Ագաթանգեղոս, Հայոց պատմություն, թարգմանություն և ծանոթագրություններ՝ Ռ.Թոմսոնի, Ալբանի, Նյու Յորքի պետական համալսարան, 1976, 527 էջ, «Պատմա-բանասիրական հանդես», 1977, թիվ 4, էջ 240-242, Դանիելյան Է.Լ., Գրախոսություն։ Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies (JSAS). Vol. 3, 1987, p. 192. University of California, Los Angeles, «Պատմա-բանասիրական հանդես», 1989, թիվ 1, էջ 235-238 և այլն)։

5 Information about this center was provided on May 27, 2014 by Dr. Ara Sanjian, Director of the Armenian Research Center at University of Michigan-Dearborn.

“Globus” analytical bulletin, No. 1, 2015


Return
Another materials of author