“Spyurk” (“Diaspora”) Scientific-Educational Center – established in 18th December, 1995 as part of Khachatur Abovyan Armenian State Pedagogical University. In 2001 it was repaired and furnished by “Hayastan” All Armenian Found.
Activity directions:
a) Diaspora Armenian teacher training
1996 Novemeber – December – Armenian language and literature experimental special training spent in Buenos Aires, Argentine (32 participants from 4 Armenian schools were granted State Certificates of the Republic of Armenia).
2000-2008 and 2017-2019 - Diaspora Armenian teacher summer training, by order of Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia (463 participants from about 40 countries). The most experienced specialists of the homeland and Diaspora worked with them.
During the past years, along with all this, teacher training was also organized in the diaspora settlements. By order and guaranty of Center Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia sent about 10 experienced specialists of Armenia to Egypt, Iran, Syria.
About 900 teachers were trained.
b) Armenian teacher training
Trainings included Western Armenian subjects such as language, classical and newest literature, history.
2002 – 2012 – in 13 trainings about 500 teachers were rewarded with certificates of the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia (teachers from Yerevan, regions, also from the five regions of Artsakh).
c) a one- year experimental program in Armenian schools.
In 2002-2012 and in 2017 - Western Armenian one - year experimental program in about 80 schools of Armenia and Artsakh (8th, 10th and 11th grades) together with the “Mashdots” Union of Paris (head Professor of Sorbonne University Hilda Galfayan-Panossian). More about 2500 learners got involved in that program.
d) literary-cultural life
The center organizes republican and international conferences, unniversaries, events, debuts. In its turn the Center actively participates in different national and international conferences, pan-armenian cultural sessions not only in Armenia, but also in Diaspora (France, Argentine, Turkey, the USA, Lebanon, Syria, Great Britain, Georgia).
e) publishing
For years, the Center has published a great number of artistic, professional books, manuals and programs related to the literary and cultural field of the Diaspora (about 50 books). The last major undertaking is the publication of the academic first volume of “Complete works” of Hakob Oshakan (2020), comprising about thirty volumes.. All the publishing work is carried out in classic orthography.
f) Cooperative programs:
The Center cooperated with the Ministry of Education and Science and Ministry of Diaspora. By order of the Ministry of Education and Science the center prepared Western Armenian language and Diaspora literature text-books. And in 2015 by order of the Ministry of Diaspora Suren Danielyan published “Achievments and development trends of Diaspora Literature (1920-1960)” monograph.
In 2013-2015 by order of State Committee of Science the Center has implemented the four-volume encyclopedia of “ Western Armenian extensive biographical dictionary” (by manuscript right).
The Center also cooperates with leading educational institutions and research centers of Armenia.
J) Library
A diasporic reading hall has been operating since the days of its creation in the system of the center which is unique in the republic. It has more than 7.000 pieces of Western Armenian, Diaspora Armenian literary, scientific and educational-cultural literature, including press. Literature is purchased both through donations from individual authors and organizations and university funds.
“Spyurk” (“Diaspora”) Scientific-Educational Center
Address: RA, Yerevan, Alek Manukyan 13, 4th floor
Tel.: ¥010)619.002, ¥093)716.421
