YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Emil Babayan (LL.M. ’01) as an assistant professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS). Babayan joins the CHSS full-time faculty after more than two decades as an adjunct lecturer at AUA.
“This is indeed a new chapter in my long relationship with AUA,” he said. His connection with the University began in 1999, when he was admitted to AUA’s Intensive English Program and later enrolled in AUA’s LL.M. program, graduating in 2001. Following his studies at AUA, he continued his education at Leiden University, where he earned a master’s degree in public international law. He returned to AUA in 2003 to teach courses on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenian Genocide, human rights, and international law.
“For more than twenty years, I combined teaching at AUA with government service in Armenia and Artsakh,” said Babayan. “Now, I am honored to begin this new chapter by focusing fully on teaching and research at AUA and devoting my time, experience, and energy to the university that has been such an important part of my life for more than 25 years.”
Babayan’s research focuses on international human rights law, particularly the position of so-called unrecognized states in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the role of international human rights courts in addressing conflict and contributing to sustainable peace. He is currently in the final stage of his Ph.D. research at Leiden University, where he examines these issues through the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. He plans to develop his research into a scholarly publication.
In addition to his research, Babayan brings extensive professional experience to the classroom. He has represented Armenia in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights, including cases related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Armenian Genocide, and served as an adviser to the president of Nagorno-Karabakh on international law and human rights. “I try to bring this combination of research and practical experience into my teaching by showing students how the principles they study in textbooks and cases operate in real situations, how legal arguments are developed, how international courts approach complex questions, and how international law can be used to address issues that directly affect Armenia,” he explained.
Babayan’s teaching approach combines academic knowledge with practical experience. He encourages students to think independently rather than simply memorize legal rules. “I try to bring law to life by working with real cases, treaties, and judgments, including examples from my own professional experience,” he said. “One of the most satisfying moments for me as a teacher is when students begin to recognize a legal doctrine or principle that we have discussed in class in the world around them — when something they first encountered in a textbook suddenly helps them understand a real event, dispute, or situation in real life.”
At the same time, Babayan realizes that students come to the classroom with different educational, professional, cultural, and personal backgrounds. He sees this diversity as an important part of the learning process and tries to create an inclusive and respectful environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, challenging arguments, and expressing different perspectives.
Looking back on his academic career, Babayan identifies the combination of academic work with professional practice in international law and human rights as an experience that has particularly shaped him as both an educator and researcher. “The challenge as an educator was to bring the value of my diverse professional experiences into the classroom without simply giving students my own conclusions. I learned that my role is not to tell students what to think, but to give them the legal tools, primary sources, competing arguments, and factual context that allow them to reach and defend their own conclusions,” he remarked.
In his new role as an assistant professor, Babayan looks forward not only to teaching and developing his research, but also to mentoring students, developing new courses and academic projects, and contributing more broadly to the intellectual life of the University. “Most of all, I hope to use the experience I have accumulated over the years to help prepare a new generation of lawyers who can contribute meaningfully to Armenia while at the same time being fully equipped to work within the international legal community,” he concluded.
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.
