Boris Adjemian

AGBU Nubar Library, Paris

Anna Aleksanyan

University of California, Los Angeles

Hourig Attarian

American University in Armenia

Melissa Bilal

University of California, Los Angeles

Dzovinar Derderian

University of California, Berkeley

Lori Khatchadourian

Cornell University

Nelli Sargsyan

Emerson College, Boston

Gayane Shagoyan

IAE NAS RA

International Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences in Armenia

A Hub for Cross-disciplinary and Innovative Research and Education

Dilijan 2023

Outline

• Developing an International Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences :

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• enhance capacity in the humanities and qualitative social sciences in Armenia
• supporting the translation and dissemination of research

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• fostering collaboration

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• creating learning opportunities that can mutually benefit students and scholars from Armenia and around the world.

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Dilijan 2023

The Why

Humanities and social sciences in Armenia

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• a rich tradition of research and publications

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• a scholarly heritage that deserves to be known

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• a relative isolation from other scientific schools

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• Expanding the global reach of the research carried out in the humanities and social sciences within Armenian universities

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• A crucial educational and scientific issue for Armenia

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Dilijan 2023

The What (1/3)

• across disciplines and languages

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• a center attached to a local academic institution

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• innovative and cross-disciplinary courses

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• workshops

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• program of translations: critical texts and concepts

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• access to international scholarships

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• Toward an increased methodological and theoretical support to Armenian students and junior scholars

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• Towards a higher impact of the research being done in Armenia

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A collaborative intellectual hub in the humanities and social sciences

Dilijan 2023

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• Internationalization

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• Translation

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• Exchanges

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• Interdisciplinarity

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• Transversality

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• Critical studies

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• Methodology

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• Collaborations

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• Innovation

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• Reflexivity

The What (2/3)

Principles and key notions of the Center

Dilijan 2023

The What (3/3)

• A Center aiming to promote a higher impact of Armenian research

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• Offering methodological and theoretical support to students

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• Thinking history, the humanities and the social sciences in a permanent dialogue

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• Supporting innovative courses and research

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• Bringing together Armenian and international students et scholars

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Dilijan 2023

The How

Who?

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• A large team of scholars operating independently

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• Under the guidance of a board of international and Armenian scholars

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• With the active participation and input of doctoral students and students

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Where?

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• attached to a local academic institution (e.g. Yerevan State University)

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• open to students from all universities in Armenia (public and private)

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Dilijan 2023

• Establishing a strong network between Armenian and international academic institutions in the humanities and social sciences

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• Facilitating the exchange of skills, knowledge and ideas in Armenia

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• Increasing the numbers of papers annually published by scholars from Armenia in international journals of humanities and social sciences

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• Increasing the annual number of student and researchers benefitting from fellowships and scholarships abroad

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• Increasing the annual number of scholars from abroad coming to Armenia for teaching and lecturing

Expected outcomes

Dilijan 2023

• All disciplines of the humanities and social sciences involved

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• history, art history, musicology, ethnography, anthropology, sociology, literature, philology, etc.

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• Favoring cross-disciplinary approaches

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≠ traditional segmentations reinforced by academic and institutional patterns)

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• A cross-disciplinary center hitherto nonexistent in Armenia

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• A possible inspiration: École des hautes études en sciences sociales (Paris)

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Breadth of the project

Dilijan 2023

Humanities and Social Sciences in Translation

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• Facilitating paper submissions to international journals

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• Funding translations or copy-editing

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• Identifying experienced translators within the field

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• Developing a common vocabulary in Armenian language for advanced humanistic research

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• Translating important texts into Armenian

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• Translating Armenian academic research into English or other international language

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Programs (1/5)

Dilijan 2023

Humanities and Social Sciences Fellowships

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• Facilitating semestrial residences of international scholars in Armenia

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• Teaching one course in some aspect of theory or method to Armenian students

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• Facilitating the hosting of scholars from Armenia as visiting scholars in foreign institutions

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Programs (2/5)

Dilijan 2023

Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarships

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• Aiming to promote research in the humanities and social sciences in Armenia among young scholars

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• Supporting research projects conducted in Armenia by undergraduate students or recent graduates

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• Encouraging students enrolled in Armenian or international universities to publish articles and to pursue their MA research in Armenia

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• Encouraging collaborative projects between senior scholars and undergraduate students/recent graduates hired as research assistants or research partners

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Programs (3/5)

Dilijan 2023

Publishing Mentorship Program

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• Collaboration of graduate students and junior scholars from Armenian universities with scholars who have publishing experience with international journals

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• Helping students and young scholars to refine their publishing skills

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• Mentors may assist applicants to:

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• Identify appropriate publication venue for their research
• Develop a manuscript
• Submit it for review
• Revise it in response to reviewers’ reports

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Programs (4/5)

Dilijan 2023

Visitors and Workshop Program

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• Periodic virtual gatherings in which scholars and students may:

• Share work in progress
• Discuss seminal texts
• Share practical guidance on publishing, grant-writing, teaching, etc.

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• Periodic organization of one-day or one-week long workshops and seminars involving visiting scholars and graduate students in Armenia

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Programs (5/5)

Dilijan 2023

Potential fundings and opportunities

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• European funds dedicated to scientific research and innovation

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• Program Erasmus + involving Armenia

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Potential hosting institutions

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• Yerevan State University

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• American University in Armenia

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• Yerevan State University of Languages and Social Sciences after V. Brusov

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• Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography

Implementation

Dilijan 2023

• Centre de recherches historiques (CNRS, EHESS)

• Centre d’études turques, ottomanes et balkaniques (CNRS, EHESS)

• Centre d'études des mondes russe, caucasien et centre-européen (CNRS, EHESS)

• Migrinter – Migrations internationales, espaces et sociétés (CNRS, Université de Poitiers)

• UCLA Armenian Studies (Los Angeles)

• USC Shoah Foundation (Los Angeles)

• University of California, Irvine (UCI), Center for Armenian Studies

• Center for Armenian Studies (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

• University of Boğaziçi (Istanbul)

• University of Manchester

• University of Stirling

• Haigazian University

• Schaeffer Center for the Study of Genocides, Human Rights and Conflict Prevention (American University in Paris)

• University of Tel Aviv

• University of Glasgow

• Centre for Oral History & Digital Storytelling, Concordia University

• American Research Institute in the South Caucasus (ARISC)

Potential collaborations

Dilijan 2023