On November 5, the ceremony dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Haigazian University in Beirut and the presentation of the 35th volume of Haigazian Journal of Armenian Studies with the support of the RA Ministry of Diaspora was held in the sessions hall of the chairmanship of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA).

The minister also talked about the close partnership between the RA Ministry of Diaspora and Haigazian University, which helps enhance the Armenia-Diaspora partnership and consolidate all Armenians around the ideas of pan-Armenian significance. “In September 2011, the RA Ministry of Diaspora, Haigazian University and Yerevan State University hosted a conference entitled “Armenia-Diaspora Partnership: Past, Present and Future” in Beirut. The issues discussed during the conference have been included in the upcoming working plans of the Chair of Diaspora Studies at Yerevan State University and the Center for Diaspora Studies at Haigazian University.”

To bring up an example, the minister emphised the fact that in 2014, within the scope of the orders for theme-based research from the RA Ministry of Diaspora, the ministry and the Center for Diaspora Studies at Haigazian University concluded a contract to prepare a study on “The History of the Armenian Community of Lebanon”, which will soon be presented to readers. “I believe such a study will serve as a major contribution to making the history of the community of the Armenian Diaspora most devoted to Armenia and the Armenians, complete,” the minister said.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan awarded Haigazian University in Beirut with the Gold Medal of the RA Ministry of Diaspora and granted the award to President of the University, the Very Rev., Paul Haytostian for the brilliant work that the University has completed over the past 60 years, for the development of the Armenia-Diaspora partnership, for services provided to the Homeland and the Diaspora, as well as for making notable contributions to the strengthening of relations between Armenia and the Diaspora and within Armenian communities and to the preservation of the Armenian identity.

In his welcoming speech, member of the chairmanship of the NAS RA, academician-secretary of the Division for Armenian Studies and Social Sciences Yuri Suvaryan mentioned that Armenia’s centers for Armenian studies need to further strengthen their relations with Armenological centers, particularly the Institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. Suvaryan assured that the Institutes of the Academy have professionals with the potential to exchange the necessary experience and conduct trainings at Haigazian University.

Vice-Rector of Yerevan State University Ararat Malkhasyan transmitted the welcoming speech of Rector of Yerevan State University Aram Simonyan to the participants of the ceremony and granted the Commemorative Gold Medal of Yerevan State University to Paul Haytostian.

Expressing gratitude for the high appreciation and the awards, President of Haigazian University Paul Haytostian first emphasized that the University is known to Armenians in the Homeland due to the RA Ministry of Diaspora and Minister Hranush Hakobyan. The Very Reverend talked about the history of the University and mentioned that it has been best representing the Armenians in the Arab World for decades.

The ceremony was followed by the presentation of the 35th volume of the Haigazian Journal of Armenian Studies.

In his speech, Director of the Center for Armenian Diaspora Studies at Haigazian University Antranik Dakessian talked about the Haigazian Journal of Armenian studies (publishing since 1970) and mentioned the following: “The purpose of publishing the Haigazian Journal of Armenian Studies is to encourage the activities of Diaspora Armenian intellectuals, particularly Lebanese-Armenian intellectuals in the field of Armenology, as well as support their cooperation with Armenia’s scholars. The Journal includes scientific articles devoted to Armenian history and culture, original documents and critiques in Armenian, Arabic and Western European languages. The editors of the Journal have collaborated with Armenologists from Armenia, the Diaspora and foreign countries,” -he mentioned.

RA Deputy Minister of Diaspora Serzh Srapionyan; Director of the H. Atcharyan Institute of Language of the NAS RA Victor Katvalyan; Director of the Institute of Literature of the NAS RA Vardan Devrikyan; Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Yerevan State University Ruben Melkonyan; candidate of philological sciences, historian and film critic Artsvi Bkhchinyan and philologist Mihran Minasyan gave speeches devoted to the presentation of the 35th volume of the Haigazian Journal of Armenian Studies.