“Microhistories in Armenian Studies,” a two-day international conference organized by the Fresno State Armenian Studies Program, will be held Sept. 22 and 23 on the Fresno State campus.
The conference will feature keynote speaker Dr. Hans-Lukas Kieser of the University of Newcastle NSW, Australia, and presentations by six scholars. Admission to the conference is free and open to the public. Parking is also free on both days of the conference. The conference will be live-streamed on YouTube.
The conference will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22, at the University Business Center (Alice Peters Auditorium), with the keynote speaker followed by three presentations:
- Victoria Abrahamyan of the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, will speak on “The Contested Armenian Participation in the Syrian Great Revolt, 1925-1926.”
- Ara Sarafian of the Gomidas Institute, London, will speak on “The Great Drought/Famine of Van and Kurdish Armenian Relations cir. 1880.”
- Sam Dolbee of Vanderbilt University will speak on “Hovhannes Doumanian and the Last Ottoman Agronomists.”
The second day of the conference will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Smittcamp Alumni House with three presentations:
- Robert Sukiasyan of Yerevan State University and American University of Armenia will speak on “A Scheme for Extortion and Targeted Eliminations of Surviving Sivas Armenian Community Leaders in the Summer of 1915.”
- Ümit Kurt of University of Newcastle NSW will speak on “The Fate of Armenian Family Wealth: Confiscation of Property in Ottoman Aintab during the First World War.”
- Hazal Özdemir of Northwestern University presents “They Vowed to Never Return: Bureaucratic Violence and Border-Building in the Ottoman Empire.”
The conference is supported through the Ralph Kazarian Armenian Memorial Fund. Visit the Armenian Studies program website for information about upcoming presentations.
