On June 22, Haigazian University launched the 31st volume of the Haigazian Armenological Review with a reception. Editorial Board member Armen Urneshlian welcomed the audience and noted that for the last 20 years, the Review has been issued punctually on a yearly basis and has provided the occasion for men of letters and concerned individuals to gather. The Review is well recognized and respected both in the Armenian Republic and the diaspora, he said, due to set guidelines and principles related to the definition of Armenian studies, the age diversity of the contributors, the plurality of views, and the scientific approach. Urneshlian reminded the audience that the bibliography of the Review’s 30 volumes was published recently and is available on the Haigazian University website. On the occasion of the 500thanniversary of the publication of the first Armenian book, the Editorial Board plans to compile a bibliography of Armenian books published in Lebanon, Urneshlian said, and welcomes all those who could help in this regard.
The guest speaker, Dr. Vartan Matiossian, assessed the record of the Review over the past 40 years. Delving into Armenian studies is a complex responsibility, he said, as it is the study of “an area and a people that existed even before the time of Sumer and has continued its historical existence till now. It is the study of the past and present of this area and people with a vision to the future.” He added, “We want to know who and where we were, who and where we are currently, and who and where we will be in the future.” Matiossian noted that the Review is one of the five Armenian studies periodicals of the diaspora that features research papers in Armenian. For the last two decades, he added, the Review has been particularly committed to a multidisciplinary approach in its choice and assessment of articles.
Matiossian stressed that Armenians cannot allow the luxury of conflict between classicists and modernists, as is frequently seen in Western scholarship, and that Armenian studies offer a continuous and overlapping record at multiple levels and in many disciplines with no time limitations. As an example, Matiossian referred to the table of contents of the 31st volume of the Review, underlining the diversity of disciplines, topics, contributors, and timelines encompassed in the volume. He categorically rejected all attempts at politicizing Armenian studies and turning it into an overarching field of national-strategic interest. The current “witch hunt” carried out in some circles, he said, promises “no good at all” and that any definition of Armenian studies compartmentalized into “Armenian,” “European,” “American,” and so on is groundless and divisive. Matiossian appreciated the outlook shown by the Editorial Board of the Haigazian Armenological Review and ended by calling for a more open, pluralistic, and tolerant approach in Armenian studies.
Father Antranig Granian, the editor-in-chief of the Review, highlighted the need for an accessible grand library that would enable the researcher to save time and have at his finger tips the sources he needs for his research. Fr. Granian noted that such a grand library could be established through the internet and called on the audience to pay special attention to the editorial of the current volume of the Review, which accentuates the need for such a website.
In his closing message, Haigazian University President Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian welcomed the gathering and thanked the Review’s Editorial Board and all those who contributed to its birth. Rev. Haidostian reiterated the necessity of preserving Armenian studies as an appealing and important area for the younger generations’ future education. Finally, he announced that Haigazian University would soon have its official Haigazian University Press registered at the Lebanese Ministry of Information.
At the end of the evening Rev. Haidostian, Dr. Matiossian, and members of the Editorial Board cut the traditional cake.
The current 31st volume of the Haigazian Armenological Review is 764 pages, and will soon be available on www.haigazian.edu.lb/Publications/Pages/HaigazianArmenologicalReview.aspx.
The Haigazian Armenological Review was started in 1970 and has since provided the invaluable service of offering an annual forum for Armenologists from around the world. The Review is a bridge between Armenologists in Armenia and abroad. Its aim to promote original and unpublished research and scientific work in linguistics, literature, bibliography, history, culture, arts, medieval studies, social sciences, Christianity, and international relations. Its international contributors hail from France, the UK, North and South America, Armenia, and the Middle East. The Review is a multilingual, yearly publication which that its authors to publish in one of four languages (Armenian, English, French, and Arabic). To learn more, visit www.haigazian.edu.lb.
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