SCIENTIFIC AND ANALYTICAL COMMUNITY OF THE ARMENIAN DIASPORA
Organizational matters and cooperation prospects
The study uncovers and assesses the scientific and analytical potential of the Diaspora. An attempt is made to expose the Armenian intellectual resources available in academic institutions and think-tanks abroad. A database of Armenian Diaspora professionals involved in scientific and analytical activities has been created.
One of the key objectives of the study is to direct the intellectual potential of Armenian Diaspora towards addressing the national problems. For this purpose, mechanisms of collaboration between scientists and experts of Armenia and Diaspora have been developed.
The book (in Armenian, 9.3 MB) is intended for a wide range of specialists and readers.
SUMMARY
The results of this research indicate that there is a large Armenian scientific and analytical community abroad. Information about more than 500 specialists is presented in this book, but this number is far from being exhaustive. Most of them work in two key countries – Russia and the USA. This publication covers more than 250 Armenian specialists in Russia and over 120 in the USA.
At the same time the analysis of the information acquired shows that the Armenian academic and analytical community abroad generally is not unified. There are very few institutional entities uniting Armenian scientists and analysts in the Diaspora. Also, it is a matter of concern that the Armenian specialists do not always maintain contacts with their colleagues in Armenia.
The exposure or “diagnosis” of the aforementioned worrisome issues prompts the main goals and agenda of the work to be carried out with the academic and analytical community of the Diaspora. In this regard the following objectives can be pointed out:
1. Boosting the ties between Armenian scientists and analysts working abroad. In order to overcome the fragmentation, it is proposed to create a common framework for cooperation and
reciprocal communication in various formats between the Armenian scientists and experts in foreign countries. Creation of institutional structures bringing together scientists from the Armenian communities is also crucial for addressing this issue.
2. Promoting studies by Armenian Diaspora scientists and analysts on topics that are imperative for Armenia. This is aimed at consolidating the intellectual potential of the Armenian Diaspora
to achieve nationwide goals. It is necessary to create conditions for the Armenian specialists working at academic structures and analytical centers abroad, so that they conduct studies and research of issues critical for Armenia.
3. Strengthening the ties with Armenia. This is aimed at boosting Homeland-Diaspora cooperation in the area of academic and analytical activities. The realities at the current stage indicate that it is more reasonable to focus on distant working as far as the intellectual work is concerned in Homeland-Diaspora cooperation. This implies placing orders with Armenian scientists and experts in foreign countries for individual or collective research, organizing online conferences, webinars, lectures, etc. using modern telecommunication technologies. Activities of a nationwide networking organization uniting academic and expert communities of Armenia and Diaspora would be crucially important in terms of achieving Homeland-Diaspora coordinated
partnership in the area of scientific and analytical work. The Armenian Research Network Institute (ARNI) established in Armenia in 2012, but yet inactive, can be regarded as such organization.
As the international (particularly Chinese and Jewish) experience has shown, systematized cooperation with diaspora in the field of scientific and analytical activities has been vitally important in the context of development of certain states and nations.
