YEREVAN, Armenia — From June 14-18, the international ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) Europe Group Meeting and scientific symposium took place in Armenia, bringing together global cultural preservation experts. The American University of Armenia (AUA) served as a vibrant hub for the event’s prominent opening day and conference.
Held in AUA’s Manoogian Hall, the symposium, titled “Memory-Driven Heritage: Ethics, Cultural Landscapes, and Transboundary Cooperation,” brought together international experts, heritage professionals, and state officials to explore cultural heritage as a dynamic, living, and human-centered process.
The high-profile event commenced with a series of opening remarks from distinguished local and international dignitaries, highlighting the vital role of cultural safeguarding in contemporary diplomacy and regional cooperation. Among the invited guests were , Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia Zhanna Andreasyan; Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia H.E. Vassilis Maragos; Secretary-General of the Armenian National Commission for UNESCO Davit Knyazyan; and Chairperson of the Tourism Committee of Armenia Lusine Gevorgyan.
The core theme of the symposium emphasized that the true value of cultural heritage is continuously shaped and reshaped through individual and collective memory. Over the course of the five-day regional event, more than 50 participants representing ICOMOS chapters from over two dozen countries — including Spain, Germany, France, Estonia, Ireland, and Belgium — engaged in rigorous discussions across three central subtopics: the ethics of memory in heritage, cultural landscapes as shared memory spaces, and the delicate balance between tourism, sensitive memory, and cross-border cooperation.
AUA faculty and program chairs were prominently featured during the university-hosted scientific sessions, showcasing AUA’s cutting-edge work in digital humanities and sustainable tourism.
Zarmine Zeytuntsyan, AUA’s Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics program liaison and director of AUA’s Graduate Certificate in Tourism and Hospitality Management program, delivered a featured presentation titled “From Scholarly Documentation to Responsible Public Interpretation: Digitizing 100 Armenian Monuments.” Her presentation addressed how the digital preservation of 100 historic Armenian monuments can actively transition from academic archives into tools that support sustainable cultural tourism while safeguarding collective memory.
By bringing international scholars together with local experts — ranging from regional embroidery masters to global architectural historians — the symposium underscored that heritage preservation is not merely a technical or administrative task, but a profound commitment to social justice, inclusion, and historical understanding, particularly in multicultural and post-conflict contexts.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
