EVN Talks

Simon Maghakyan, who lectures on international relations at the University of Colorado, Denver and is a visiting scholar at Tufts University has been researching Eurasian politics of cultural erasure since 2005. He speaks to EVN Report about the threat of the destruction of Armenian historical monuments that are now under Azerbaijani control.

A specialist in 19th and 20th century Russian and Eurasian history, Dr. Pietro Shakarian speaks to EVN Report about the intricate and complicated history surrounding Soviet Armenian statesman Anastas Mikoyan, how his ethnicity informed his politics, his role in the purges and later in the series of political reforms after Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953 known as de-Stalinization.

After enlisting in the US Army at the age of 17 and serving several tours in Afghanistan, Joe Kassabian returned and published his novel “Hooligans of Kandahar.” Kassabian also hosts a popular military history podcast series called Lions Led by Donkeys. During a recent visit to Armenia, Kassabian spoke to EVN Report about the 2020 Artsakh War, the frustration of the biased coverage of the war, the absence of nuance, and how he plans on never shutting up about the cause of Armenia.

The methodology employed in the teaching of Armenian history must be reevaluated according to historian Zohrab Gevorgyan. An expert on the ancient Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, Gevorgyan says that over time, myths and personalization have become central themes in the teaching and understanding of Armenians’ collective history.

After working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Aerospace Corporation, Dr. Mary Boghosian moved to Armenia in 2015. She established the Center for Innovation Promotion and Research and also lectures at the American University of Armenia and Yerevan State University. She is passionate about encouraging and promoting innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

On August 18, 2021, Armenia’s Prime Minister unveiled the Armenian Government’s 2021-2026 Programme and said that opening an era of peaceful development for Armenia and the region is their most important mission. EVN Report’s Maria Titizian speaks to political analyst Tigran Grigoryan who takes a closer look at the Programme’s vision for Artsakh, security and defense and foreign policy.

A complex set of issues is impacting water resources, from poor management to threats to water security in Armenia and Artsakh. EVN Report’s Maria Titizian spoke to Stepan Khachatryan, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and water resources specialist, who is also supporting the coordination of the Kaps Reservoir, the largest industrial hydro-engineering project in Armenia.

When Lilit Odabashian puts her mind to something, she makes it happen. Like Armenians all over the world, Lilit was devastated at what was happening during the 2020 Artsakh War. She decided to start a Facebook group called Buy Armenian to encourage people to buy Armenian products as a way of trying to do her part. As the group grew and took on a life of its own, her husband Nishan joined the initiative and they launched the Buy Armenian website that features over 800 vendors.

In the early hours of July 28, 2021, Azerbaijani forces launched yet another attack against Armenian positions, this time in the Gegharkunik region, leaving three Armenian soldiers dead and a number of wounded. Tatevik Hayrapetyan, an expert on Azerbaijan, speaks to EVN Report about the intentions of Baku following the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, the Armenian response and the psychological toll of constant aggression.

Moving from one country to another can be a daunting exercise, not least of which is the cultural dimension. Entrepreneurs and social development practitioners Hiroki Tachiiri and Taiji Notsu, originally from Japan, made that move to Armenia. They talk to EVN Report about their latest venture, which includes a new company that will explore possibilities in the food, tourism and consulting industries, even a manga on Armenia which will be introduced in Japan.