History of the Program
Realizing that there was a significant gap in the university curriculum concerning geno-cide, the Zoryan Institute, founded in 1982, a non-profit charitable organization devoted to the research and documentation of genocide, began planning in the summer of 2001 for a unique course entitled “The Genocide and Human Rights University Program.” The Program Development Committee of Kerstin Aivazian, Professor Varouj Aivazian, Arsinée Khanjian, Prof. Solomon Nigosian, Greg Sarkissian, Lena Sarkissian, Prof. Lorne Shirnian, George Shirinian and Prof. Shaké Toukmanian oversaw the development of the course concept, the faculty selection and the admission criteria. The course outline was developed by the Curriculum Advisory Committee, consisting of Executive Director George Shirinian, Prof. Yair Auron, Prof. Levon Chorbajian, Prof. Vahakn Dadrian, Prof. Lorne Shirinian, and Prof. Roger Smith.
The course ran successfully in Toronto in August 2002 as a pilot project under the directorship of Lorne Shirinian. It attracted students from Armenia, Australia, Canada, England, France, Japan and the United States. Some of the world’s foremost experts were invited to be instructors for the course: Prof. Taner Akçam, Prof. Yair Auron, Prof. Frank Chalk, Prof. Vahakn Dadrian, Prof. Roger Smith, and Prof. Khachig Tölöyan. The participants finished the course with a strong commitment to the ideals of human rights, and the desire to pursue genocide studies at an advanced academic level. Three students who attended the pilot course made presentations at the prestigious Biennial Conference of the International Associ-ation of Genocide Scholars in Galway, Ireland following the course.
Roger W. Smith, Professor Emeritus of Government at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and co-founder and past president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, was named Program Director in November 2002. Faculty for the 2003 program was expanded to twelve to give maximum coverage to the densely packed course content. In August 2003, twenty-three students from around the world completed the GHRUP. Students, faculty and staff all gave positive feedback on their experience, and expressed confidence in the program’s bright future. Professor Smith declared: “I am delighted the course was so successful the past two summers and that it will be repeated annually…The relationship among the students was outstanding, and the relationship between the students and the instructors was marvelous.”
The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies was renamed as a division of the Zoryan Institute in December 2003. The Institute entered into a partnership with the University of Minnesota through the good offices of Dr. Stephen Feinstein, Director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. University students completing the program in either Minneapolis or Toronto had the option of receiving four graduate level credits from the University of Minnesota. In addition, the GHRUP faculty was expanded from twelve to 17 instructors between Toronto and Minneapolis.
To date over 198 students from twenty-three countries have completed the program in Minneapolis and Toronto. From these extraordinary shared experiences, students, faculty and staff have had the unexpected benefit of establishing strong personal ties and friendships, which have extended well beyond the classroom. As one student wrote, "…we've gone through a lot together over these two weeks and for that I'm extremely grateful. We are all taking something away from this class, knowledge, friends, and memories... I hope that we all hold on to these things and remember the lessons, and help in the prevention of future genocides."
Each year, the IIGHRS Program Development Committee reviews the student evaluation forms and modifies the program’s content and organization accordingly, to ensure it is always relevant to the interests of students today. Since it is not possible during the two-week time period to cover every case of genocide in the in-depth manner which each deserves, the Committee elects to rotate case studies annually.
Each year’s graduating class has gone out into the world and spread awareness of the nature of genocide, the importance of human rights, and the necessity of genocide prevention. This awareness is fundamental to developing the political will crucial for enforcing and expanding the international justice system.