Zoryan Institute

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The Zoryan Institute and the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism are pleased to announce an upcoming pane...
09/04/2026

The Zoryan Institute and the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism are pleased to announce an upcoming panel titled, “Reimagining International Law for Humanity: A New Era of Accountability”, that will examine the future of international law in an increasingly challenging global environment.

The panel brings together renowned international human rights lawyers, Prof. William Schabas, Prof. Fannie Lafontaine, Prof. Ardi Imseis and Prof. Noah Weisbord who will consider pathways toward stronger accountability and renewed trust in international law.

The panel will be taking place on September 17, 2026, at McGill’s Maxwell Cohen Moot Court from 6:30-8:30 pm EST.

Visit https://zoryaninstitute.org/the-zoryan-institute-and-the-mcgill-centre-for-human-rights-and-legal-pluralism-to-host-panel-on-the-future-of-international-law-and-accountability/ to learn more.

Last week, the Zoryan Institute’s 2026 Genocide and Human Rights University Program came to a close.The course’s second ...
08/11/2026

Last week, the Zoryan Institute’s 2026 Genocide and Human Rights University Program came to a close.

The course’s second week of programming featured several of the program’s core units, including The Holocaust, led by Prof. Barry Trachtenberg; Colonialism and Indigenous Peoples of North America, led by Prof. Lorena Fontaine; Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, led by Prof. Maureen Hiebert; Gender and Genocide, led by Prof. Jennie Burnet; and Genocide Prevention, led by Prof. Alex Alvarez.

This year’s program also saw the reintroduction of a previously taught unit on the Holodomor from the perspective of attrition, taught by Prof. Karolina Koziura. Additionally, the program introduced two new units: Sudan, taught by Prof. Nisrin Elamin, and Occupation and Genocide in Gaza, taught by Prof. Omer Bartov.

On the final day of the program, students applied the knowledge and insights gained over the preceding 9 days to present their final projects. These presentations explored a wide range of topics, from the ethics of witnessing mass atrocities to the production of collective perpetrator identity, reflecting both the cohort’s disciplinary diversity and the program’s own interdisciplinary approach to the study of genocide and human rights.

The Institute is incredibly grateful to all of the faculty, students, donors, and partners who contributed to another successful year of the GHRUP!

To learn more about the program and its work, please visit genocidestudies.org. If you are interested in supporting educational programming like this, please contact us at [email protected].

The 2026 Genocide and Human Rights University Program, hosted by the Zoryan Institute at the University of Toronto, is u...
08/03/2026

The 2026 Genocide and Human Rights University Program, hosted by the Zoryan Institute at the University of Toronto, is underway! Now in its 24th year, GHRUP continues to bring together participants from around the world for an intensive, interdisciplinary and comparative exploration of human rights and genocide studies. These photos capture moments from the first half of the program, as students build both the academic foundation and the collaborative community that make GHRUP such a unique learning experience!

Through lectures and seminar discussions led by Course Director Prof. Alex Alvarez, Prof. Luis Van Isschot, Prof. Henry Theriault, Prof. Amy Sodaro, Prof. William Schabas, and Prof. Suren Manukyan, this year’s participants have explored the development of human rights, theories of genocide, the psychology of genocide, genocide denial, international law, and memory and memorialization before turning to the program’s first case study: the Armenian Genocide and its enduring legacy.

As the program moves into its second and final week, participants will build on the concepts and analytical frameworks developed during the first half of the course to continue engaging with historical and contemporary case studies of genocide. Stay tuned as the GHRUP welcomes Prof. Barry Trachtenberg for tomorrow’s session on the Holocaust.

The Zoryan Institute is pleased to share a new publication on Scholar’s Corner titled “Rubio’s Threat to Dismantle the I...
07/17/2026

The Zoryan Institute is pleased to share a new publication on Scholar’s Corner titled “Rubio’s Threat to Dismantle the International Criminal Court is Doomed to Fail” by Prof. William Schabas.

In this commentary, Prof. Schabas examines recent statements by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio concerning the International Criminal Court (ICC) and discusses the historical and legal context considerations surrounding these ongoing challenges to the court.

🔗 Read the full article via the link in our bio.

For 35 years, the Zoryan Institute’s award-winning journal, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, has advanced g...
07/17/2026

For 35 years, the Zoryan Institute’s award-winning journal, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, has advanced global conversations on diaspora, migration, identity, memory, and belonging. As the first journal of its kind when it was founded in 1991, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies played a pioneering role in establishing Diaspora Studies as an independent field of research and scholarship.

As the Institute approaches its 45th anniversary, we continue to bring diaspora research, stories, and conversations to wider audiences through initiatives like Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, the Dispersion podcast, and The Diaspora Collection.

Visit our link in bio to learn more about these programs and how to stay engaged!

The Zoryan Institute is pleased to share an interview with one of its academic board members, Prof. Bedross Der Matossia...
07/15/2026

The Zoryan Institute is pleased to share an interview with one of its academic board members, Prof. Bedross Der Matossian examining the growing challenges faced by the Armenian community in Jerusalem.

Conducted by Zoryan Institute President K.M. Greg Sarkissian and published in the Institute’s blog, Scholar’s Corner, the interview explores recent reports of harassment and intimidation directed at Christian clergy, nuns, and members of Jerusalem’s historic Armenian community. Drawing on his expertise as a leading scholar of the modern history of Jerusalem and the Ottoman Empire, Prof. Der Matossian provides readers more insight on why and in what context these events have occurred.

🔗 Read the full interview via the link in our bio.

On June 28, Israel’s Cabinet voted to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide, marking a major shift after decades with...
06/30/2026

On June 28, Israel’s Cabinet voted to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide, marking a major shift after decades without official recognition. The decision will now go to the Knesset for ratification.

In response, the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (IIGHRS) has released a statement welcoming this long-awaited recognition while expressing reservations. The Institute asks whether this decision reflects a genuine commitment to historical truth and international law, or whether it is being used as a tool of political expediency.

Visit the link in our bio to read the IIGHRS’s full statement.

The Zoryan Institute is mourning the loss of the remarkable German journalist, historian, researcher, scholar, and frien...
06/12/2026

The Zoryan Institute is mourning the loss of the remarkable German journalist, historian, researcher, scholar, and friend of the Institute, Wolfgang Gust, who leaves behind a lasting legacy as someone who played an instrumental role in the affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

The Zoryan Institute, its directors and staff are incredibly grateful for Gust’s years of dedication to unearthing some of the most important research demonstrating the incontestability of the Armenian Genocide. As a friend and scholar, he will be greatly missed by the Institute and the international community at large. We share our sincere condolences to his wife Ingrid, and the rest of his family and loved ones. 

To read the full dedication to Wolfgang Gust, visit the link in bio.

The Zoryan Institute mourns the loss of our cherished GHRUP alumna, Prof. Regine Uwibereyeho King. A survivor of the 199...
06/10/2026

The Zoryan Institute mourns the loss of our cherished GHRUP alumna, Prof. Regine Uwibereyeho King.

A survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Regine dedicated her life to understanding trauma and rebuilding communities like her own affected by violence. She was a remarkable scholar, educator, and member of the Zoryan Institute community whose impact will be felt for years to come.

We send our heartfelt condolences to her family and all those lucky to know her.

Read our full tribute at the link in bio.

The Zoryan Institute is pleased to share a new publication from Scholar’s Corner titled “Seeing Past the Café Windows: R...
05/22/2026

The Zoryan Institute is pleased to share a new publication from Scholar’s Corner titled “Seeing Past the Café Windows: Rethinking Food Insecurity as a Human Security Challenge in Armenia” by Setrag Hovsepian, a graduate of the Institute’s Genocide and Human Rights University Program.
 
The article examines food insecurity in Armenia through the lens of human security and human rights, exploring how visible signs of prosperity can obscure deeper structural inequalities. Drawing on international scholarship and human rights frameworks, it argues that inadequate access to food is not only an economic issue, but also a challenge to dignity, stability, and state responsibility.
 
🔗 Read the full article via the link in our bio.

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