Armenia Needs Caucasian Studies – Historian

ARMENIA NEEDS CAUCASIAN STUDIES – HISTORIAN

tert.am
22.05.12

At his meeting with journalists on Friday, Doctor of History, Professor
Hayrapet Margaryan said that Armenians’ knowledge of their neighbors,
particularly Azerbaijan and Georgia, is much more superficial than
that of any European state.

Edik Minasyan, Dean of the Department of Historical Science, Yerevan
State University, pointed out the importance of Caucasian studies in
“struggling against Georgian and Azerbaijan falsehoods” for Armenia.

The need for filling in the gap has been recognized in Armenia,
he said.

A year ago the Department of Caucasian Studies was opened at Yerevan
State University, Minasyan said.

In contrast to Armenia, Caucasian studies, particularly Armenian
studies, are at a much higher level in the neighboring states.

“Back in the Soviet times, Azerbaijan had an army of Armenian speaking
people, who easily began studying Armenian. Armenian studies were at
a high level in Tbilisi, which allows the tradition to be upheld now,”
Minasyan said.

“We encounter serious difficulties in finding specialists of the
Georgian and Azerbaijani languages,” said Professor Margaryan.