Innovate Armenia showcases successful Armenians


Matt Karatsu | Daily Trojan

The USC Institute for Armenian Studies hosted its third annual Innovate Armenia event last weekend with an array of authentic music and festivities to celebrate Armenian culture. Through presentations, talks and performances, the festival provided patrons and those of Armenian descent a chance to learn about STEM research and education in Armenia.

Over the past three years, Innovate Armenia has held the festival to examine the intersection of arts, culture and technology through various speakers and artists. Last year’s festival drew 3,000 attendees, and 20,000 more watched online.

The Institute was established in 2005 and is composed of three full-time staff members and one full-time researcher. Associate director Silva Sevlian said this event brings together Armenian leaders to discuss pertinent topics.

“What we like to do is showcase leaders in whatever field we are highlighting that year and this year, it’s STEM,” Sevlian said. “It’s not about showing, ‘Here is one successful Armenian,’ it is about broadening what cultural identity means. It’s about introducing people and introducing professionals and stimulating dialogue outside the norm.”

Each aspect of the event related to one or more of the three focal points of the Institute for Armenian Studies. These points include post-Armenian genocide research, diaspora studies and the Republic of Armenia.

Innovate Armenia featured three centers of attention this year. At the Alumni Park, there were several featured musicians, Armenian delicacies and wine for visitors to enjoy. Inside Bovard Auditorium, there were TED Talk-style presentations and panels discussing contemporary and past Armenian topics. Inside Doheny Library, there was an installation called “Undeliverable” which featured rare postcards from Armenia as well as contemporary images by Brazilian photographer Norair Chahinian.

Chahinian shared how his photography taught him more about the Armenian diaspora, in which many Armenians fled Turkey as a  result of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

“I learned many stories from that place, but also I found life, I found hope,” Chahinian said. “I met many, many people that taught me a lot about how they survived over these past 100 years dealing with a very hard condition.”

Matt Karatsu | Daily Trojan

“Undeliverable” additionally featured 160 original printed sepia tones on Ottoman postcards collected over 32 years by Istanbul-based businessman Orlando Carlo Calumeno. Director of the Institute Salpi Ghazarian said this became an opportunity to put stories of those lost in context and convey the depth of the political violence which resulted in genocide.

STEM innovations were presented through the collaboration of the Fab Lab to lead a maker’s station which featured technological innovation from students in the Viterbi School of Engineering as well as Glendale Community College. The attractions included a 3-D printing station that recreated a famous Armenian temple and keychains with laser cutters. These innovations were shown to promote the technology and innovation in Armenia, according to Eric Hovanessian, a sophomore in Viterbi.

A new attraction this year was the inclusion of a continuous chess game between 10 guests from the public versus Armenian grandmaster Tatev Abrahamyan  and international master Andranik Matikozyan as a team. Chess is a large part of the Armenian education system and is a common pastime in the Armenian culture.

“Chess is a big part of Armenian culture,” Abrahamyan said. “Chess is one of the most popular games there, and I think chess is the field where we exceed in the most. The Armenian Olympic team has won the gold medal three times.”

The one-day festival featured events to inspire involvement and interest in reimagining identity, language, history and technology for the entire diaspora to encourage discussion about how heritage can meet innovation.