As noted on a Blog-News release on October 28, 2013, Kaveh Farrokh provided a presentation at  (بخش ایران شناسی دانشگاه دولتی ایروان) the University of Yerevan Iranian Studies Department  entitled “Shirvan, Arran, and Azerbaijan: A Historical-Cultural Retrospective” conference (kindly click here for more information on all conference participants and their topics). He also delivered a second (2-part) lecture entitled “Cultural Links between Iran, Armenia and Georgia from Antiquity to the early 1800s“. These were delivered on November 2 and 4th 2013 respectively.

YSU-Committee-2013-1Cover page, dedication and list of organizers of the conference. Kindly note that Kaveh Farrokh was one of the members of the organizing committee for the conference at Yerevan State University (Click to enlarge to see list of organizers). For more information on the conference kindly click here for more information on all conference participants and their topics.

Below are photo updates of the conference.

YSU-Nov-2013-1From left to right: Professor Garnik S. Asatrian (Chair, Iranian Studies Department, Yerevan State University; Editor, “Iran and the Caucasus”, BRILL, Leiden-Boston), Professor Ali Granmayeh (London Middle East Institute, SOAS, University of London) and Professor Vardan Voskanian (faculty, Iranian Studies Department, Yerevan State University). Professor Asatrian and Kaveh Farrokh were interviewed on November 5, 2013 by Armenian TV regarding the conference (click here…)

YSU-Nov-2013-2The opening ceremonies and lectures of the conference at Yerevan State University.

YSU-10-YSU Faculty and Grad StduentsA gathering of students and faculty of the Iranian Studies Department at Yerevan State University, with Professor Victoria Arakelova situated second from right. Professor Victoria Arakelova is Associate Professor, Department of Iranian Studies, Yerevan State University and Associate Editor, “Iran and the Caucasus”, BRILL, Leiden.

YSU-4-Prof Galichian-2 Professor Rouben Galichian presenting on ancient maps of Shirvan, Arran, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Farrokh has written a book review of Galichian’s latest text which will appear in the forthcoming edition of the distinguished journal IranNameh: A Journal of Iranian Studies, edited by Professor Mohammad Tavakoli-Targhi (Professor of History and Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto and the chair of the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Toronto-Mississauga).

YSU-16-Asatrian-Farrokh-Borbor-3Professor Garnik Asatrian, Kaveh Farrokh and Professor Dariush Borbor (Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge and Director of the Research Institute and Library of Iranian Studies (RILIS) at Tehran).

YSU-Nov-2013-3 Farrokh lectures at Yerevan State University on November 2 (links between Arran, Azerbaijan and Iran – bottom photo) and November 4 (post-conference lecture on Iran-Armenia and Iran-Georgia links – top photo). Farrokh and Asatrian also appeared on Armenian state TV (see here…) to discuss the conference and its importance to the study of languages and ethnic groups of the Caucasus.

 YSU-14-Arakelova and GeorgiaProfessor Victoria Arakelova and Professor Irina Natchkebia (Tsereteli Institute of Oriental Studies of Georgian Academy of Sciences).

YSU-18-YSU Conference(Left) Professor Sekandar Amanollahi-Baharvand who teaches anthropology at the University of Shiraz and (Right) Professor Garnik Asatrian.

YSU-12-Garnik Asatrian Residence-4After the Conference: Enjoying the Caucasian climate and local South Caucasus cuisine at Professor Asatrian’s residence: (Left) Farrokh and Professor Caspar ten Dam of Leiden University (Holland) (Right) from left to right: Professor Rouben Galichian and Professor Dariush Borbor.