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STORRS, Conn.— The Honorable Masis Mayilian, deputy foreign minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a disputed territory on the border of Armenia , will speak at University of Connecticut on March 23 and in Hartford on March 25.
Mayilian’s talk, “ Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as a Factor of Peace and Stability in the Region of South Caucasus” will be hosted by UConn’s Norian Armenian Studies Project. It will be held in the Centennial Alumni Center in Storrs from 3-4:30 p.m. A reception will follow his talk.
Mayilian will also discuss the social, economic and political situation in the transcaucus region during a Lenten dinner and program on Saturday, March 25, at 6 p.m. at St . George Armenian Church, Assadourian Hall, 22 White St., Hartford.Dinner reservations are required for this event. RSVP to (860) 521-2851 or (860) 521-0421 or (860) 233-5248.
"I am delighted that the Norian fund for Armenian Studies at UConn is providing the opportunity for Deputy Foreign Minister Masis Mayilian to come to our campus and to meet members of the Armenian American community,” said Kay Davidson, dean of the School of Social Work. “His talk on March 23 will inform our campus community of the current complex political situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic."
Since 1993, Mayilian has held various positions in the Nagorno Karabakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2001, by the resolution of the Republic’s government, he was appointed the NKR deputy minister of foreign affairs. He has the diplomatic rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
This year, the U .S . Congress allocated $3 million for humanitarian and relief assistance for Nagorno Karabakh.
The talks are funded by the Norian bequest to UConn, which supports a program of Armenian Studies activities to honor the legacy of Alice Norian. The program is interdisciplinary, involving the School of Social Work, the Center for European Studies, and the Office of International Affairs.
The resurrection of a full-fledged Armenian studies program at UConn — a small program existed from mid-1980s until the early 1990s — was made possible by Alice Norian, a graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University and long-time Enfield elementary school teacher who happened upon UConn during an exhibit of Armenian rugs and other artifacts. She soon became friendly with Arppie Charkoudian, then director of Jorgensen Auditorium, and Frank Stone, a professor of education with an abiding interest in Armenia.
Over the years, friendships developed and Norian, who died in 1999 with no heirs, bequeathed $504,000 to UConn to jump-start the Norian Armenian Studies Program. The endowment created by Norian is expected to be matched with $252,000 from the state.
March Releases
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