“Il y a beaucoup à faire ” à l’USC (Université de Californie du Sud) Armenian studies (études arméniennes)

"I was explaining to a friend my vision about how the USC Institute of Armenian Studies would grow in the next 15 years. She asked – very genuinely – but is there really that much to do?

I’d like to share my answer with you: We have as much to do as there are challenges facing Armenia and Armenians.

My friend shook her head and said none of these grand issues were her concern. What about your children, I asked. How will you handle issues of identity, belonging, language, culture transmission, religion and its relevance. How will today’s young people become comfortable and connected to all of their worlds, without having to choose one over the other?

Now she was listening, so I continued. The larger issues are no less real just because they are seemingly outside our individual reach. Armenia’s security, development, democratization – not just the all-important regional security — but food security, health security, social security, environmental security, gender and privacy security are critically important. Strategic partnership between Diaspora and Armenia is undefined. Developments in Turkey, Russia, Iran, Georgia and the Middle East effect stability in Armenia.  

The challenges are real – and looming.  Social scientists dissect the issues and use research to make projections about the future. This helps make sense of events unfolding around us.  Specialists in the humanities – writers, linguists, historians, artists – interpret and re-formulate these issues in ways that are relevant and current. Understanding these events offers hope, inspires collaboration and enables meaningful responses and solutions. 

In other words, with knowledge, and vision, we can frame our future, not just wait for it. 

So, she agreed, yes, there really is a lot to do. "

source : USC Salpi Ghazarian