Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Marine Vardanyan
Staff Writer
Photo: ASP Archives
One of the interesting aspects of Fresno State’s Armenian Studies Program includes the annual selection of a distinguished professor to visit and offer an Armenian Studies course related to modern Armenian history, including the Genocide of 1915, and the formation of the Armenian Republic. Students have the opportunity to take such a course and to gain insight into these interesting topics.
The Henry S. Khanzadian Kazan Visiting Professorship in Armenian Studies was established in 2000, with a generous endowment that provides support for the visiting position and allows the Armenian Studies Program to invite, for one semester each year, an internationally recognized scholar in contemporary Armenian affairs.
Dr. Sona Haroutyunian, the tenth Kazan Visiting Professor, will be joining the Armenian Studies Program from the University of Venice in Spring 2013, to offer a fascinating three-unit course, Armenian Studies 120T, “Armenian Genocide and Translation.” The course will focus on studying the translation of literature on the Armenian Genocide, and how it has played a role in educating and raising awareness about it.
Dr. Haroutyunian is an accomplished scholar, having translated Antonia Arslan’s Skylark Farm from Italian into Armenian. A graduate of Yerevan State University, she received her Masters of Arts in pedagogy, philology, and literary translation in 1996, and later her Ph.D. in philology. She received her second Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of Venice, where she has been a professor of Armenian language and literature since 2001.
Along with teaching, Dr. Haroutyunian has also directed her skills towards working as the Cultural Advisor to the Ambassador of Armenia in Italy, and the Italian and Armenian Website Coordinator and Translator for the Armenian Embassy in Italy. Recently, Dr. Haroutyunian completed mapping translations from the Armenian language into Italian, a project she has worked on with UNESCO.
In addition to teaching her course, Dr. Haroutyunian will also be giving three public lectures during her visit, which will be published in the Kazan Armenian Studies series.
We welcome Dr. Haroutyunian to Fresno and look forward to her enlightening lectures and class.