The “rock stars” of Armenian studies will be visiting USC and connecting the campus community with Armenian research through the Institute of Armenian Studies’ Seminal Scholars Residency, launched on Sept. 16. World-renowned linguist Hrach Martirosyan is the program’s inaugural scholar. 

Martirosyan has held several lectures, workshops on practical research skills, and office hours in Armenian and English at USC. These events taught students to work with Armenian dictionaries and highlighted taboos in Armenian linguistics, the continuity and change in the Armenian language, and the Armenian presence in Artsakh and Syunik. 

Shushan Karapetian, director of the Institute of Armenian Studies, said Martirosyan is the first of many in the Seminal Scholars Residency, a program to invite scholars who can bring Armenian studies to a wider audience.

“We’re bringing … the pantheon of Armenian studies,” Karapetian said. “[We’re looking for] someone who can engage an audience outside of Armenian studies, someone who understands that Armenian studies doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”

Martirosyan is known for his work in the Armenian language and in the Indo-European context for his book, Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon. He has also worked around the globe, including at Leiden University in the Netherlands, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, among other universities in Europe, Asia, and the United States.   

During his residency, Martirosyan will also contribute to a season of the Institute’s podcast, “Language Therapy with Dr. K,” discussing linguistic and cultural topics in Armenian discourse alongside Karapetian. 

“It’s important to notice that all the things we organize here are carried out in both languages, Armenian and English,” Martirosyan said about his events at USC. “Not only the Armenian students and largely Armenian participants are involved here but also those who are somehow related to Armenian studies but not necessarily are fluent in Armenian.” 

Karapetian said Los Angeles is the hub of the largest Armenian diaspora in the country. As a former lecturer at UCLA, Martirosyan said he is familiar with the significant presence of Armenian culture in California. 

“I can testify that the cultural sphere of Los Angeles and around it is really very active, and so I’m happy to so frequently have taken part in that life,” Martirosyan said.

Karapetian said she finds Martirosyan’s research both historically and contemporarily relevant, and appreciated his ability to put into perspective 6,000 years of global language development.

“I think he is the perfect embodiment of incredible, incomprehensible depth in Armenian and historic comparative linguistics,” Karapetian said, noting Martirosyan’s ability to “contextualize all of that within the larger Indo-European experience and within the larger geopolitical experience.” 

Mane Avagyan, a sophomore majoring in international relations, said she appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the Armenian language and culture, especially as USC currently only offers two classes on Armenian studies.

“I think [the Institute] would be open to suggestions if we’re interested in a certain field,” Avagyan said. “If there’s a lot of students who want to learn about a specific Armenian-related thing or a specific scholar, they would be very open to working with that.”

As a student worker at the Institute of Armenian Studies, Avagyan said she saw how much work went into establishing the new program and was excited to see the program come to fruition

 “It’s such a wonderful opportunity to have all of these people, to have a chance to speak with them, learn with them,” Avagyan said.

In regards to his hopes for USC students’ takeaways from his visit, Martirosyan said he is zeroing in on practical knowledge and hopes students will leave more aware of the Armenian language and culture, as well as more comfortable using Armenian dictionaries and online materials. 

“In the field of Armenology, both in [academic spheres] and also to social media, there are a huge amount of falsifications and also a [misuse] of sources,” Martirosyan said. “Being skillful in using online tools is one of the most essential tasks.” 

Karapetian said the Seminal Scholars Residency represents the growth of her Institute as a whole. 

“I think in the U.S., Armenian studies departments tend to stay siloed in their narrow niche circles of Near Eastern languages and cultures,” Karapetian said. “I’ve been trying to craft a new vision, a new direction for the Institute which makes Armenian studies much more accessible and much more relevant in larger global, academic and social conversations.”

Correction: A previous version of this article called the Institute of Armenian Studies, “Institute for Armenian Studies” and changed the title of a student worker. The article also stated that USC only offers two classes on American studies and that Hrach Martirosyan contributed to one episode of the podcast, “Language Therapy with Dr. K.” The article was updated Sept. 29 at 10:59 p.m. to reflect the correct titles, that USC offers two classes on Armenian studies and that Martirosyan contributed to a season of the podcast. The Daily Trojan regrets these errors.