Genocide Studies Aimed at Furthering the Debate on Restitution
Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) today announced its new Richard G. Hovhannisian Scholarship for Armenian Genocide Studies. AEF has established this scholarship in honor of Professor Hovannisian in recognition of his lifelong dedication to the study of the Armenian Genocide. It is a merit based scholarship for Master and PhD students pursuing studies in higher educational institutions in the Republic of Armenia, specializing in the economic, social-demographic, cultural, legal and political aspects of denial and its accrued impact on the Armenian nation. The Foundation will cover the full tuition during the entire study and research, given that the proposed topic of research is acceptable to the Scholarship Board.
This year, the Armenian nation is commemorating the centennial of this atrocious crime. To this day, Turkey attempts to silence the past through various policies, meanwhile, continuing to reap the benefits of various international legal agreements. In reality, it continues the denial of the Genocide, thus, perpetuating the consequences of this colossal crime.
Looking forward to a new phase in the process of redemption of denied human rights and lost heritage, there is a need for reexamination and broadening of the strategies and tactics that could counteract Turkey’s denial policy. This requires sound research and debate in order to feed the actions leading to the punishment through compensation and retribution of the losses that an entire nation had to bear on its shoulders. Thus, it needs an interdisciplinary and broad approach that could examine the different aspects of the losses and their historic and future impact.
“The study of genocide, which is a gross violation of human rights, can help us understand the conditions under which acts of mass violence are likely to take place, suggesting ways in which genocide may be prevented,” states Scholarship Committee Member, Nvard Manasian. “In the case of the Armenian Genocide there is a need to comparatively conduct interdisciplinary studies that could help to assess the magnitude of the demographic, economic, political, and cultural impact on the Armenian nation in order to identify the magnitude of loss to be recovered gradually.”
The new scholarship will support the advancement of the academic debate on the possible avenues for retribution and recovery of lost human rights. Simultaneously, the scholarship would also afford the opportunity to explore the heritage rightfully belonging to an entire nation by feeding the results of this research into the state, diplomatic and public understanding and structured debate in different venues. The details of the terms and conditions of the newly announced scholarship are accessible on the scholarship website of the Foundation.
About the Foundation:
Along with other activities the Armenian Educational Foundation offers a helping hand to hundreds of students in Armenia, Lebanon and the United States. This assistance has been made possible in large part thanks to the various scholarship funds and generous benefactors. The foundation was established in 1950 and its main objectives are to (a) render financial assistance to Armenian educational institutions, irrespective of their religious affiliation or denomination; (b) assist students of Armenian parentage, to acquire an education in educational institutions and (c) establish and to aid in the establishment of Armenian educational institutions and cultural centers.
Today, a greater number of Armenian students are seeking to extend their level of education beyond high school and even college. With the formation of more scholarship funds, the AEF can provide additional support to a larger number of these students in colleges and universities, award those pursuing Armenian studies, establish funds which would focus on specific fields and give financial assistance for academic research. In this way, the AEF hopes that it will help young people make lasting contributions to their respective communities.
About Richard G. Hovannisian:
Born to a family that survived the Genocide, Richard G. Hovannisian a historian by education, dedicated his life and professional career to studying Armenian and Middle Eastern history. Most of his work is focused on the Armenian Genocide and the First Republic of Armenia.
In 1986, Hovannisian was appointed as the first holder of the Armenian Educational Foundation Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA. Upon Prof. Hovannisian’s retirement, the UCLA Chair was renamed in his honor. Hovannisian is a Guggenheim Fellow who has received numerous honors for his scholarship, civic activities, and advancement of Armenian Studies. Hovannisian serves on the board of directors of nine scholarly and civic organizations, including the Facing History and Ourselves Foundation; the International Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide; International Alert; the Foundation for Research on Armenian Architecture; and the Armenian National Institute (ANI). He received the UCLA Alumni Association’s 2010-2011 “Most Inspiring Teacher” award.
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