Some Kind of Magic: Creating Academic Ties Between Armenia and Romania

When the Center for Culture and Civilization Studies Foundation in Armenia teamed up with the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Bucharest, they shared an ambitious goal: to foster deeper academic ties between their nations and encourage a richer understanding of their interconnected histories. Supported by BST, the initiative Expanding Armenia-Romania Dialogue through Academic Exchange proved to be a remarkable success, creating meaningful connections and opening new doors for students and scholars alike.

The project was aimed at establishing academic ties between the two countries and creating a better understanding of the South Caucasus and its role in the wider Black Sea region for Romanian students, as well as allowing their counterparts to better understand a country with which they have significant historic ties. 

The collaborative effort involved, among others, 24 lectures for the Romanian students in Bucharest, a Spring School for the Romanian and Armenian Students with participation of Armenian and Romanian scholars in Yerevan, and an international symposium “Armenia at the Crossroads”, which took place at the University of Bucharest. This exchange opened the intellectual and geographic horizon for the students and lecturers from 

both countries, while contextualizing the intercultural and personal linkages of Romania and its Armenian minority. “There is some kind of magic in the way you are lecturing” - Anna, one of the Armenian lecturers recalls hearing from one of the Romanian students - “These words still accompany me during my other lectures”, she added. For the almost 130 students from Armenia and Romania taking part in the project this was a unique chance to discover each other.

International Symposium: Armenia at the Crossroads

Photo credit: CCCSF

The initiative showed that for countries with a difficult democratic past and sometimes present, looking and learning from one another can be just as relevant as the lessons from the West. For Romanian students like Cosmin, this has certainly been the case, following this project he has chosen to focus his research on Armenian foreign and security issues and the South Caucasus region.