AGHBALIAN’S LESSONS OF MORALITY
By Hovannes Yeranian
Yerkir.am
June 02, 2006
The heritage of Nikol Aghbalian, the literary critic, pedagogue and
public figure, is so enormous that the first international conference
organized by the Hamazkayin and the Yerevan State University last
November could not entirely cover the topic.
Following the conference, Aghbalian’s “Selected Works” were published.
Before that, Aghbalian’s works had been published only in Beirut.
In a follow-up, the Hamazkayin presented on May 27 the collection
titled ” Nikol Aghbalian-130: Materials of the International
Conference.” The presentation was held at the Yerevan State University.
In her remarks, Lilist Galstian, the chairwoman of the Hamazkayin
Armenia office, said the date was symbolic. On the eve of May 28,
“the justice was served, and Aghbalian returned to the state university
he had founded.”
Despite all that happened, Aghbalian never felt upset with Armenia;
in fact, when the Beirut Seminary was being established, soil from
Armenia was brought there.
YSU rector Aram Simonian pointed to Aghbalian’s high morality. He
reminded a decree by Aghbalian, according to which, the salaries of the
university professors were raised to match those of cabinet members.
“Aghbalian’s lessons of morality were aimed at mainly the youth and
students because Aghbalian was teaching without posing as a teacher,”
Philology Department Dean Artsrun Avagian said.
There were many students present at the event. Some of them were
awarded Hakop Karapents fellowships by the Hamazkayin.