On October 27, 2025, the Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) inaugurated the Ara Hrechdakian Chair of Armenian Studies during a warm and dignified ceremony held at the Oriental Library auditorium. Established through the generous donation of the Hrechdakian family, the Chair will operate within the Oriental Library, serving as a hub for research, conferences, workshops, and cultural events, while also offering courses in Armenian Studies.
The ceremony opened with a welcoming address by Dr. Joseph Rustom, Director of the Oriental Library and master of ceremonies. He recalled that as early as 1933, USJ had established a Chair of Armenian Studies, founded by Jesuit Father Jean Mécérian. During Father Mécérian’s tenure, the Oriental Library began assembling its rich collection of Armenian and Armenological works, which remains preserved today. Dr. Rustom also highlighted the Library’s continued commitment to Armenian heritage, noting the recent acquisition of the photographic collection of Varoujan Sétian and the caricature archive of Diran Ajemian.
Following Dr. Rustom’s remarks, the musical ensemble Hekyat took the stage. The trio — Nareg Kechichian (cajón), Sevada Andonian (guitar), and Carmen Balian (vocals) — performed a moving selection of Armenian songs.
Next, Prof. Salim Daccache, SJ, Rector of USJ, expressed his gratitude to Mr. Peter Hrechdakian, representing the Hrechdakian family, whose generosity made the creation of the Chair possible. He also noted that in recent years, several attempts had been made to revive a Chair in Armenian Studies at the University, and he expressed his appreciation to the Armenian Jesuit clergy for their significant contributions to Armenological research.
Mr. Hrechdakian was then invited to the stage. Speaking on behalf of his family, he shared heartfelt words and personal memories of his late father, Ara Hrechdakian, whose name the new Chair proudly bears. He also extended special thanks to Father François Boëdec, who will assume the role of Rector of USJ in January 2026.
Next, actress Arsinée Khanjian, appointed Chair holder, recalled her childhood and youth in Lebanon, when she had dreamed of studying at USJ. Khanjian expressed her gratitude to the University and to Lebanon for the opportunity to dedicate the Ara Hrechdakian Chair of Armenian Studies to the Armenian people — as a new space for enlightenment, remembrance, and innovation.
The ceremony concluded with remarks by Dr. Vahe Tachjian, Executive Director of the Ara Hrechdakian Chair of Armenian Studies. He described the creation of the Chair as both fortunate and timely, noting that it not only provides access to the Library’s collection of Armenian books but also offers the opportunity to enrich it with new publications. In collaboration with the Library, he explained, an archive dedicated to materials of Armenian memory will be developed, including old photographs, films, documents, and handwritten memoirs. Dr. Tachjian went on to reflect on his fifteen years of experience as Director of the Houshamadyan website, emphasizing how Armenians from across the world have contributed digital copies of their family archives with the Berlin-based project. Within the USJ Oriental Library, such precious materials can now be physically gathered, documented, and preserved.
Dr. Tachjian then presented one of the Chair’s first major initiatives: the creation of a website dedicated to the Armenian communities of Lebanon and, more broadly, the Middle East. The project aims to reconstruct the collective memory of community and family life across generations. He concluded by expressing the hope that the new Chair would become a vibrant meeting place for scholars while also sparking the curiosity of young people from diverse fields. At the same time, he stressed the importance of engaging non-Armenian audiences, who, through Armenian culture and history, could discover not only the richness of Armenian heritage but also that of Lebanon, and, ultimately, the shared human experience.
You can watch the full recording of the Ara Hrechdakian Chair of Armenian Studies inauguration ceremony on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@chea-usj
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Read also:
Inauguration de la Chaire Ara Hrechdakian d’études arméniennes à l’Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth
إطلاق كرسي "آرا هرشداكيان" للدراسات الأرمنيّة في المكتبة الشرقيّة