Message from the Director

Welcome to the Center for Armenian Studies at University of California, Irvine.

The new Center, based in the School of Humanities, will support teaching, research, and community engagement with an emphasis on the study of Armenians and Armenia within a regional (i.e., Middle East and Caucasus) and world context, thus reflecting the global and interactive nature of Armenian history. With a strong programming history and demonstrated community support, the Center seeks to contribute to the diverse intellectual and cultural life of the campus and the wider community.

This is a particularly propitious time for the creation of a Center in Armenian Studies. Since the launching of the Meghrouni Family Presidential Chair in Armenian Studies, UCI Armenian Studies has grown on campus to include the teaching of Armenian history courses, the creation of two years of Armenian-language instruction, an Armenian Studies Minor, and an expanded collection of Armenian-language and Armenian-related books at Langson Library.

The program has also garnered recognition and visibility nationally and internationally in the Armenian Studies field through its programming and leadership. The Center for Armenian Studies will facilitate and solidify the work already taking place in Armenian Studies in the School of Humanities by bringing Armenian Studies to the university community as well as the larger community through its programming as well as undergraduate teaching and graduate training. The Center will further propel interdisciplinary research, teaching, and outreach towards the ambitious broader goal of establishing an endowed Center for Armenian Diaspora Studies.

Houri Berberian,
Meghrouni Family Presidential Chair in Armenian Studies
Director, UCI Center for Armenian Studies