News

Staff Report By a decision of the Yerevan State University Academic Council, Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno was awarded the Honorary Doctorate degree from Yerevan State University. Der Mugrdechian was awarded the degree for his achievements in working with Yerevan State University and for his work in the field of Armenian Studies. ...

Staff Report Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, Haig and Isabel Berberian Professor of Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno and Director of the Armenian Studies Program, announced the establishment of the Norma and Bob Der Mugrdechian Armenian Studies Endowed Scholarship Fund at Fresno State. Bob Der Mugrdechian of Clovis, California established the Scholarship Fund in memory of his late wife Norma ...

Staff Report Just as Sweden has its Nobel Prizes and the United States its Pulitzer, Belgium has its annual Francqui Scientific Prize given to the outstanding young (under fifty) Belgian scholar. The yearly prize of some four million Belgian francs is the country’s most coveted academic distinction and its most famous award of any kind. It is the only honor ...

Staff Report The Society for Armenian Studies announced the results of recently held elections and the new Executive Council includes Fresno State’s very own Barlow Der Mugrdechian, President; Peter Cowe, Vice President; Levon Chorbajian, Treasurer; Houri Berberian, Secretary; along with council members-without-portfolio Robert Hewsen, Richard Hovannisian, and Dickran Kouymjian. Dennis Papazian, as last year’s President, will serve a one year ...

John Jabagchourian Editor Following the recent news of the French government’s official recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the adoption of similar resolutions in other European nations, British archival historian, Ara Sarafian, visited California State University, Fresno to speak about “Britain and the Armenian Genocide” in an evening lecture on February 20. Ara Sarafian, front row, second from left, with ...

By John Jabaghchourian In a sudden and unexpected move, House Speaker Denis Hastert pulled the Armenian Genocide resolution, House Resolution 596, off the House floor in response to a letter sent by President Clinton just moments before the bill was to be voted on during the October 19 session of Congress. Meanwhile, as the United States government continues to brush ...

Staff Report Government Announces Details of $165 Million of Projects Undertaken by The Lincy Foundation The government of Armenia and The Lincy Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding that formalizes the modification of The Lincy Foundation’s significant commitment to Armenia’s economic development. During a meeting in June with President Robert Kocharian in Washington, Mr. Kirk Kerkorian enthusiastically endorsed the Armenian ...

Staff Report An evening devoted to “The Armenians of the Central San Joaquin Valley” drew more than 100 people to the Fresno County Library on Tuesday, October 17. A full table of Armenian delicacies greeted those who entered the Sarah McCardle Room of the Library to listen to retired local Armenian farmer Berge Bulbulian, musician Peter Dorian, and Barlow Der ...

By Edward Thurber Staff Writer Dr. Richard Hovannisian gave the second of threeHenry S. Khanzadian Kazan Lectures related to the Armenian Genocide of 1915, with a lecture titled “The Last Generation of Ottoman Armenians: Bitter-Sweet Memories,” on Monday evening, October 30th. He began with a discussion of his trip to Istanbul, Turkey, where he presented a paper in an International ...

By Arpik Paraghamian Staff Writer Stolen property and reparations to the survivors and descendants of those martyred during the Armenian Genocide of 1915 was the focus of a lecture by Hilmar Kaiser during his fourth visit to Fresno State on November 6, 2000. Kaiser, a doctoral candidate at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, spent four years studying Turkish ...