“State of Armenian Studies” Discussed at Historic University of Michigan Gathering

Staff Report

Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State, and representing the Society for Armenian Studies, participated in a an innovative workshop, “The State of Armenian Studies,” at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, September 18-20, 2008.

Over the past forty years there have been several opportunities for gatherings to discuss the state of Armenian Studies and prospects for the future. The Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, spearheaded the new project, inviting representatives of major international Armenian studies institutions and organizations to participate in the formulation of the plan for action.

The University of Michigan project aims at producing a first of its kind comprehensive and global report on the “State ofArmenian Studies” and making it available to all concerned by the end of 2009 with the cooperation of organizations, institutions, and scholars involved in Armenian Studies worldwide.

That report will encompass a quantitative as well as a qualitative analysis of the whole array of activities, from existing programs and their activities, books and articles published in the last decades, programs and chairs established, to gaps in knowledge, relationship between current output and advances in the social sciences and humanities in general, and future needs.

To produce that report, the Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan invited an initial, organizational meeting of organizations and institutions that might contribute to the planning of and logistical support to the project.

Participating in the first meeting of the workshop were representatives of the National Academy of Sciences (Prof. Ruben Safrastyan), Yerevan State University (Prof. Albert Stepanyan), the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (Belmont, Mass., Marc Mamigonian), the Society for Armenian Studies (US, Barlow Der Mugrdechian), the Society for Armenian Studies (Europe, Seta Claire Mouradian), the Armenian Research Center, University of Michigan-Dearborn (Prof. Ara Sanjian and Gerald Ottenbreit), and the Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Professors Gerard Libaridian and Kevork Bardakjian).

Prof. Gerard Libaridian, Director of the Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan is director of the project.