16.06.2008
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (FROM THE SERIES OF “ARMENIA AND ITS NEIGHBORS”)
On may 15-18 the head of “Noravank” Foundation’s “Diasporeal studies” program, PhD in History Tamara Vardanyan took part in the international conference organized by the Michigan University “Armenian studies” program. the conference titled “Georgia: The Making of a National Culture” was participated by prominent specialists from Georgia (10 participants), the US different universities (8), Russia (2), Armenia (1), Australia (2), Japan (1), Canada (1), France (2), Turkey (1), Switzerland (1). The reports were devoted to different matters embracing the representation of peculiarities of Georgian, Armenian, Byzantine architecture, Georgian identity and culture creation processes as well as discussions on political developments in the context of “Rose revolution.” The conference was the first event in the scheduled series of “Armenia and its neighbors” conferences, so the subjects of Armenian-Georgian relations, Armenians’ contribution in creating unique Tiflisian culture and the studies of being Armenian were of utmost importance at the conference. The agenda was quite full: there were many urgent subjects and reports of scientific importance which were subject to disputes.
The variety of subjects to be discussed at the conference and existence of discursive elements made a ground for active scientific disputes, which proved to be possible thanks to high professionalism and profound knowledge of both the participants and organizers (professors Ronald Grigor Suny, Jirair Libaridian, Kevork Bardakjian). It is also worth mentioning that the international scientific community had an exclusive chance to follow the conference on-line on http://umtv-%20live.rs.itd.%20umich.edu/%20asp/asp052008.%20asx web-page.
T.Vardanyan’s report (representing “Noravank” Foundation) was titled “Armenian-Georgian inter-ethnic relations in Tbilisi: mutual perceptions and stereotypes” and was listened with great interest by the conference participants.
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