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06.03.2014

THE ARMENIAN SCIENTIFIC AND ANALYTICAL COMMUNITY IN THE USA

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Arestakes Simavoryan
Head of the Center for the Armenian Studies, Noravank Foundation

Currently the USA is the world leader by the number of “think-tanks”, “intellectual output” and other similar aspects. These structures are unique in terms of their activities and they significantly differ from academic institutions. The “intellectual outputs” produced by the “think-tanks” (TT), i.e. practical political expertise, analytical research and fundamental works, differ by their strategic vision of world processes, which is based on achieving desirable outcomes through political and economic changes. This is the main difference between the outputs of the TT activities and academic research.1

Thanks to these entities, the USA has become today a leading country for research in various areas performed by TTs, the number of which according to some study data reaches 1823 in the country. These organizations produce strategic ideas and they have gained political significance in the USA, as their research influences the US foreign and domestic policy decisions. Many of them have become “think-wings” of government structures or political parties, providing them ideological support. One of them is Heritage Foundation, “analytical” groups of which support the politicians of the Republican Party by providing consultancy on both foreign and domestic policies. Currently about one-quarter of the US analytical centers act in an independent/semi-independent/autonomous manner. Some centers specialize narrowly in certain domestic or foreign policy areas, others focus on regional matters, yet others conduct research in the whole range of the foreign policies. Such unprecedented growth of analytical structures can be explained by the high level of culture in terms of science development in the USA.

It has to be noted that the government structures make use of the scientific and analytical community’s intellectual “products”, consultancy, situation assessments, and scenarios of development for political or other events. The Armenian experts/analysts involved with the leading TTs in the USA have their contribution in this.

Information on Armenian scientists that work in the US academic institutions is available through encyclopedias, as well as databases created by various organizations in Armenia2. Conversely, the expert community working in the “think-tanks” of the USA has received no proper attention. Meanwhile, the TTs in the modern world have turned into not only domestic, but also global societal and political actors, whose format of influence is far from how the society traditionally views scientific and educational institutions3.

In the studies conducted by other countries for creating databases on intellectual resources of their diasporas and utilizing these resources, the USA receives large attention as well. The reason is that, perhaps, the USA has recognized the best the importance of knowledge and benefits that can be reaped by applying the scientific research in practice4.

We have found out that there are more Armenians in the US “think-tanks” than in those of other countries. This is generally explained by the size of the Armenian community in the country, and more importantly, by its share of the TTs in the world, because as it was mentioned above, it is an important factor that the USA is one of the leaders in this area.

Some Armenian experts residing in America have expressed an opinion that: “Armenia should boost its effort to attract talent via the use of the Internet, as some of the greatest minds of the diaspora may not feel comfortable relocating to Armenia, but would be happy to contribute to the development of their homeland with the help of IT technologies; e.g. teaching online courses, or participating in research or consulting”5.

It has to be added that our academic and analytical institutions, as well as government structures have used the opportunity to implement various activities, such as joint conferences, seminars (including online), and to publish articles in Armenia in collaboration with the scientific and analytical circles of the Diaspora. As for high-quality analytical/strategic research, implementation of large programs and consultancy for various government entities jointly with the analytical community of Diaspora, to see these happen first of all government support is needed, along with long-term and stable financing. However, under current conditions in Armenia this is rather difficult to do. Even Russia underperforms in this direction. In particular American-Russian scientists are ready for steadfast collaboration, under a primary condition that stable financing is provided6.

The issue of financing could have been solved, had it been possible to involve the businesses in these activities. That is how the Chinese worked, combining the two in one. However, in case of the Chinese the primary factor contributing to collaboration was that every person considered himself/herself part of the single diaspora.

Unfortunately, being integrated in the American society often is not combined with sufficient involvement in the life of the Armenian community. Our attempts of collaboration with the analytical community in the USA confirm that. We believe enormous work needs to be done in this direction, first of all by the representatives of the local community and institutional stakeholders in Armenia.

In addition to the centers of Armenian studies, where most of the staff are Armenian specialists holding various academic degrees, there are also research/analytical institutions founded by the initiative of diaspora Armenians. Among these are: Analysis Research and Planning for Armenia (ARPA) Institute established in 1992, the Armenian International Policy Research Group, and Political Forum Armenia7.

Staffed with renown ethnic Armenian scientists and experts, ARPA is one of the very few unique structures that since independence of Armenia have cooperated with various government ministries of the RoA, performed analyses/research, provided consultancy in almost all areas, and continues these activities to date8. These three centers can be viewed as associations of diaspora Armenian intellectuals. In their research activities our compatriots in diaspora do not limit themselves to cooperation with local Armenian and other experts. Representatives from the Republic of Armenia also work in the mentioned research centers.

In the analytical centers of the USA the number of political research experts is the largest, followed by economics, social, legal and other specialists, who have achieved success in their respective fields of science. Armenian experts involved in the US “think-tanks” are also characterized by multidisciplinary professionalism. Most of the Armenian analysts combine work at TTs and in academic institutions. This is an evidence that although different by their activities, the relations of two scientific/educational systems are converged. Also, the circumstance that many TTs are affiliated to universities, has contributed to this.

Armenian experts work in well-established, highly reputable analytical organizations and academic institutions. Most of them are doctors of science, PhDs and PhD students. There are also founders, executives and managers of some TTs among them.

The Armenian analytical community of the USA has some characteristic traits, but work to be done with this group should be no different from that with others, with a single logic leading it and within the framework of possible ways of collaboration9

1 Աթոյան Վ., «Ուղեղային կենտրոններ». անցյալ, ներկա և ապագա, «Բանբեր Հայաստանի պետական տնտեսագիտական համալսարանի», Երևան, 2013, թիվ 1 (29), էջ 105։

2 See the List of ethnic Armenian scientists by areas of scientific and technological activities http://scs.am/uploads/Gitakan_qaxaqakanutyun/otarerkrya_hay_gitnakanner.pdf.

3 Աթոյան Վ., «Ուղեղային կենտրոններ». անցյալ, ներկա և ապագա, «Բանբեր Հայաստանի պետական տնտեսագիտական համալսարանի», Երևան, 2013, թիվ 1 (29), էջ 106։

4 Տեր-Հարությունյան Գ., «Ուղեղային» կենտրոնների մասին, 23. 05. 2006, http://www.noravank.am/am/?page=analitics&nid=227

5 Saradzhyan, S., Harutyunyan, M., Lee Kuan Yew’s Lessons for Armenia, 21st CENTURY, 2013, No. 1 (13), pp. 45-56.

6 Дежина И., Меры по привлечению российской научной диаспоры в кадровой политике правительства, http://www.eu.spb.ru/university/projects/academic-diaspora/papers-and-theses

7 http://www.pf-armenia.org/about-us/mission-statement.

8 Since 1992 the Institute has consulted public organizations and the government of Armenia in matters pertaining to education, the economy, energy, transportation system, foreign policy, Armenia-Diaspora relations and trade and industry: http://www.arpainstitute.org/About.html.

9 For details see: Գ.Հարությունյան, Ա.Սիմավորյան, Վ.Հովյան, Տ.Ղանալանյան, Սփյուռքի գիտավերլուծական հանրությունը. կազմակերպչական խնդիրներ և համագործակցության հեռանկարներ, Երևան, 2013, էջ 182-189։


Globus analytical bulletin, No. 2, 2014

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