The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) is set to celebrate a significant milestone, its 50th anniversary, with a three-day international conference at Harvard University and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) on September 13-15, 2024. The SAS was founded in 1974 by esteemed scholars Richard Hovannisian, Robert Thomson, Nina Garsoïan, Dickran Kouymjian and Avedis Sanjian.
Entitled “Armenian Studies: Evolving Connections and Conversations,” the conference is co-sponsored by The Mashtots Chair in Armenian Studies (Harvard University); The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (Belmont, MA); The Promise Armenian Institute (University of California, Los Angeles); The Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History (University of California, Los Angeles); The Narekatsi Chair in Armenian Studies (University of California, Los Angeles); The Armenian Studies Program (California State University, Fresno); The Institute of Armenian Studies (University of Southern California);
The Robert Aram and Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair of Armenian Genocide Studies (Clark University); The Center for Armenian Studies (University of California, Irvine); The Center for Armenian Studies (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor); The Armenian Studies Program (University of California, Berkeley); and The Armenian Research Center (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor).
Over 50 scholars from Armenia, Turkey, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, England, Australia and the United States will participate in the three-day conference. The conference will deal with connections and conversation in Armenian Studies that include — but are not limited to — the study of diaspora, migration and forced displacement; collective violence, trauma, memory and genocide; race and ethnicity; women, gender and sexuality; environment; transnational and global mobility of people and ideas; art, architecture and material culture; print and other established and emerging foci.
“The Society of Armenian Studies was founded upon the conviction of the vital need to cultivate and support scholars and students of Armenian Studies,” said Prof. Christina Maranci, the president of SAS and the holder of the Mashtots Chair in Armenian Studies at Harvard University. “The 50th anniversary is a moment not only to celebrate how far we have come but also to reflect on where we stand and to explore directions for the future of the field,” she continued.
The first day of the conference includes a reflection on the Society’s 50-year history and recognition of the contributions of eminent scholars who have passed away. These scholars include Robert Thomson, Avedis Sanjian, Robert Hewsen, Nina Garsoïan, Sirarpie Der Nersessian, Lucy Der Manuelian, George Bournoutian, Anahide Ter Minassian, Louise Nalbandian, Richard G. Hovannisian, Dennis Papazian and Vahakn N. Dadrian.
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Society will also award the Society of Armenian Studies (SAS) Lifetime Achievement Award to Stepan Astourian, Anny Bakalian, Levon Chorbajian, Roberta Ervine, Jirair Libaridian, Krikor Maksoudian, Levon Marashlian, Rubina Peroomian and Abraham Terian in recognition and appreciation for their outstanding service and contribution to the field of Armenian Studies.
“This is a huge milestone in the history of SAS,” said Prof. Bedross Der Matossian, chair of the organizing committee of the conference and past president of SAS. “The breadth, the scope and the multidisciplinary approaches of the papers to be delivered at the conference demonstrate how SAS has evolved from a handful of scholars to become the most important academic society in the Western Hemisphere with cutting-edge approaches to Armenian Studies,” he continued.
The Society of Armenian Studies is an international body, composed of scholars and students, whose aims are to promote the study of Armenian culture and society, including history, language, literature and social, political and economic questions; to facilitate the exchange of scholarly information pertaining to Armenian studies around the world; and to sponsor panels and conferences on Armenian Studies.
For those interested in joining this vibrant academic community or seeking more information on the Society for Armenian Studies, we invite you to visit the SAS website. Membership in the Society offers a wealth of benefits, including access to a global network of scholars, opportunities to present research and updates on the latest developments in Armenian Studies.
The panels at Harvard will be held in the Sackler Lecture Hall, 485 Broadway, Cambridge, Mass, 02138, and the panels at NAASR will be held in the NAASR Headquarters, 395 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA 02478.
For the complete conference program, please visit the SAS 50th Anniversary Conference website. The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Prof. Der Matossian at bdermatossian2@unl.edu.
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