Hovannisian Gives Intercontinental Presentations

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Professor Richard G. Hovannisian, Past Holder of the AEF Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA, continues on an active speaking schedule. During the Remembering for the Future Scholars Conference at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, March 8-11, he delivered the keynote address, titled, “What Have We Learned,” regarding a century of genocide. He was again featured with Dr. Stephen Smith, director of the Shoah Foundation, and conference chairman Dr. Michael Berenbaum in a public evening program in which he focused specifically on the Armenian Genocide. Other Armenian participants in the conference were scholars Ishkhan Cheftjian (Germany), H. Richard Dekmejian (USC), Khachatur Gasparyan (Yerevan), Sona Haroutyunian (Venice), Marc Mamigonian (NAASR), Arda Melkonian (UCLA), Doris Melkonian (UCLA), Garapet Moumjian, Rubina Peroomian (UCLA), and Vahram Shemmassian (CSU, Northridge).

Professor Richard Hovannisian during a presentation

From April 5 to 12, Hovannisian was in South America to give the keynote address in Buenos Aires at a three-day international conference on the Armenian Genocide, organized by the Universidat Nacional de de Febrero, the Centro de Etudios sobre Genocidio, and the Fundacion Memoria del Genocidio Armenio. The primary organizers of the conference were Juan Carlos Tufekjian and Dr. Nelida Boulgourdjian. Participants were from Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United States. The conference, which was addressed by the rector of the University, a Supreme Court justice, and other officials, received broad attention in academic and civic circles. Ambassador Vahagn Melikian and Consul Ester Mkrtumyan hosted foreign guests at a reception in the Armenian Embassy.

Prior to traveling to Buenos Aires, Hovannisian was in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the invitation of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), to give a community lecture and meet with students and civic figures. Stepan Hrair Chahinian was in charge of organizing the program, which was attended by all segments of the Armenian community. Honorary consul of the Republic of Armenia, Hilda Diruhy Burmaian, tendered a luncheon in Hovannisian’s honor, attended by the vice rector of the University of Sao Paulo, Dr. Vahan Agopyan, and several community leaders.

Other speaking engagements during the first quarter of 2014 included presentations at the Church of the Holy Translators in Framingham, Mass., in January, a Tribute to Armen Aroyan at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, together with talks at the AGBU in Chicago, and St. Kevork Armenian Church in Houston in February, and presentations at Chapman University and the Scholars Conference in March.

Hovannisian’s April schedule began with a program sponsored by the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Rhode Island, and, following his presentations in Brazil and Argentina, ended the month with PowerPoint presentations at California State University, Fresno, on April 25, and at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum on April 27 in programs featuring Armenian Kesaria/Kayseri and Cappadocia, the twelfth volume in the UCLA series on Historic Armenian Cities and Province.

In May, Hovannisian returns to Chapman University for two talks, and then on May 9 will speak in Brussels, on May 10 in the historic Armenian church of Amsterdam, and on May 11 in the community center of Almelo in the Netherlands. From May 13-16, he will be in Beirut to deliver the keynote address at an international conference organized by Prof. Antranig Dakessian of the Armenian Diaspora program of Haigazian University on the past and present of the Lebanese-Armenian community. Richard Hovannisian then returns directly to Chicago on May 17 in time for the Hairenik Association’s launching of its E-Book series. Concluding his spring schedule, Hovannisian will be the guest speaker on June 14 at the Armenian Museum and Library in Watertown, Mass.