Innovate Armenia
Innovate Armenia was a series of all-day festivals held at USC showcasing thinkers and ideas from the intersection of art, technology, and scholarship. Throughout the years, Innovate Armenia programming featured game-changers in the letters, arts, and sciences through talks, presentations, and performances. The best of Armenia’s intellectual and innovative talent were invited to interact, engage, and connect with the vibrant Armenian diaspora of Los Angeles. Music, art, history, language, and culture were presented on multiple stages across the USC campus, with talent from around the world presenting, discussing, challenging, and creating a new global Armenian identity.
This signature institute event brought thousands together on the USC campus for a day of exploration and discovery. Click below to watch Innovate Armenia videos from different years.
Armenian History Month
In April 2024, the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, in collaboration with the Armenian Students’ Association at USC, launched an annual, month-long celebration of Armenian History Month at USC. It marked a significant moment in USC’s history, where students, faculty, staff, and community members came together to honor the rich cultural heritage, history, and contributions of the Armenian-American community. The inaugural event, which featured remarks by USC President Carol Folt and an exhilarating performance by the Lernazang ensemble, drew record crowds to USC’s Hann Plaza.
Following the opening ceremony was a lineup of engaging month-long events and activities planned to further explore and celebrate Armenian history, culture, and identity.
Policy Fellows
In collaboration with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, L.A. Councilmember Paul Krekorian, and the government of Armenia, the USC Institute of Armenian Studies initiated the Policy Fellows Program. The program invited mid-career public servants from the Armenian government to work in policy planning positions throughout the City of Los Angeles to learn from and contribute to the process of improving lives in both cities. The fellows benefited from the unique positioning and academic resources available at the University of Southern California and the practical experiences they gained while working at various LA city departments.
The program took place from Fall 2018 to Spring 2020 and had seven participants.
Visiting Scholars
As an academic institute committed to advancing the research and scholarship on Armenian history, the Institute of Armenian Studies invites scholars and researchers from diverse backgrounds to sponsor and support their projects. With a constantly growing archive of oral interviews, books, photos, and physical items, the Institute provides researchers with the material and resources they need to pursue their projects and prepare them for publication. Over the years, the Institute has supported researchers interested in topics from geopolitics to human rights to cultural history within the Armenian context. Through guidance, mentorship, and a wealth of archival material, the Institute is a significant resource for researchers advancing scholarship in Armenian studies.
Visiting scholars included Karena Avedissian, Ph.D., Taline Papazian, Ph.D., Rober Koptaş, Nare Galstyan, Ph.D., and Hrag Papazian, DPhil.
Student Retreats
Open to undergraduate and graduate students from the United States and Canada, the Institute of Armenian Studies invited young scholars to a weekend retreat to pursue innovative, out-of-the-box, disruptive thinking about Armenians in the 21st century. The retreats were an opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to engage directly with thought-leaders and change-makers, creating a collegial environment for critical thinkers and future leaders with a solid sense of a global Armenian identity. Discussion facilitators included distinguished names from the worlds of technology, the arts, and academia. In total, 75 undergraduate and graduate students from 30+ universities participated in the Student Retreats.
