ARMENIAN COMMUNITES OF IRAN TO BE FEATURED IN NEXT UCLA CONFERENCE, MAY 14-16.

UCLA — The fourteenth in the UCLA International Conference series on Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces will feature the colorful history and culture of the
Armenian communities of Iran from ancient to modern times. The conference, to be held in Glendale and on the UCLA campus from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, May 14-16, will bring together scholars from Armenia, Cyprus, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, Italy, and various parts of the United States. The opening session in Armenian will be held on Friday evening, May 14, from 7:30 to 10:00, in the Glendale Presbyterian Church at the corner of Louise and Harvard Streets in Glendale and will include illustrated lectures by Armen Hakhnazarian (Germany and Armenia), Ani Babayan (Isfahan/New Julfa, Iran), Onnik Hairapetian (Glendale and Mashdotz Colleges), and Gohar Avagian (Historical Archives, Armenia).

The Saturday sessions on May 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. will be held on the UCLA campus, in Court of Sciences 50 (Young Hall), and will be conducted in English. The presentations will focus on the political, cultural and literary, economic, and social history of the Armenians of Iran or Persia. Speakers include Richard Hovannisian (UCLA), A.E. Redgate (Newcastle, England), Peter Cowe (UCLA), Hovann Simonian (USC), Thomas Sinclair University of Cyprus), Gabriella Uluhogian (Bologna University, Italy), Vazken Ghougassian (Eastern Prelacy, New York), Rubina Peroomian (UCLA), Houri Berberian (California State University, Long Beach), Rose Marie Cohen (Los Angeles), Gayane Hagopian (UCLA), Anahid Keshishian (UCLA), Bert Vaux (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee).

The Sunday afternoon sessions on May 16 from 1:30 to 5:30 will be in Armenian and in English with presentations by Armen Ter Stepanyan (Matenadaran, Armenia), Armen Hakhnazarian (Germany and Armenia), Artsvi Bskhchinyan (Armenia), Samvel Stepanian (Glendale), Aida Avanessian (Tehran, Iran), Claudia Mardirossian (UCLA), and Anny Bakalian (New York University). As in all previous conferences, a photographic exhibit will be mounted by Richard and Anne Elizabeth Elbrecht of Davis, California.

The conference is organized by Professor Richard G. Hovannisian, Holder of the Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA, and is co-sponsored by the Armenian Society (Iranahay Miutiun) of Los Angeles and the UCLA International Institute, G.E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies, and the Center for European and Russian Studies.

All proceedings are open to the public at no charge. Parking on the UCLA campus is in Parking Structure 2, entrance from Hilgard Avenue at Westholme. The conference program may be viewed at www.uclaarmenian.org and Professor Hovannisian may be contacted by e-mail at Hovannis@history.ucla.edu.