History and Geopolitics in the South Caucasus
Dr. Hovhannes Hovhannisyan and Dr. Tigran Yepremyan, Yerevan State University
Tuesday, 3 February 2026
Auckland
Europe House, Level 16, 56 Wakefield Street, Auckland
Join us for a very special event, hearing from Dr. Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Rector of Yerevan State University and the former Deputy Minister of Education of Armenia, and Dr. Tigran Yepremyan, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations of Yerevan State University. The event is moderated by Professor Rouben Azizian.
The South Caucasus stands at the intersection of competing great powers, trade routes, and diverging geopolitical visions, making its contemporary geopolitics inseparable from the region’s layered historical experiences. This talk examines the interplay between historical legacies and contemporary geopolitical dynamics in the South Caucasus in the wider Eurasian context. It examines how imperial legacies, Soviet-era structures, and post-Soviet nation-building persist in shaping regional conflict patterns, integration preferences, and strategic alignments. Special attention is given to the role of foreign policy choices and in structuring the region’s relationships with major external actors, including the US, Russia, Turkey, the EU, India, and China. By situating current geopolitical shifts within their deeper historical context, the presentation highlights the constraints and opportunities for sustainable development and regional security.
Catering and drinks provided. Attendance is free. Please register in advance.
Biographies of speakers:
Dr. Hovhannes Hovhannisyan is a Professor of Theology, Doctor of Historical Sciences, and academic leader who has served as Rector of Yerevan State University (YSU) since 2021.
Dr. Hovhannisyan has an extensive national and international academic experience including Faculty Development Program at Vanderbilt University (USA, 2008); a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)–supported post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Tübingen (Germany, 2010–2011); the Diplomatic Academy of the Republic of Armenia (2010); a post-doctoral research program at Yale University (USA, 2012–2013); and research work at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen (Germany, 2014). Since 2003, Dr. Hovhannisyan has been a lecturer at the YSU Chair of History and Theory of Religion. He has also taught at Gavar State University (2006–2008), served as a lecturer at the American University of Armenia since 2014, and delivered courses at V. Brusov State Linguistic University and M. Heratsi State Medical University. In 2014, he co-founded the Public Policy Institute of the Research Centre.
Dr. Hovhannisyan has combined academic activity with public service. From May 21, 2018, to January 14, 2019, he served as the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia. On December 9, 2018, he was elected a Member of the National Assembly from the national electoral list of the “My Step” alliance of parties. A member of several international academic organizations, Dr. Hovhannisyan is the author of a monograph and more than 40 scholarly publications in reputable international journals.
Dr. Tigran Yepremyan has served as the Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at Yerevan State University (YSU) since 2023. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the YSU Journal of International Affairs (YSUJIA). Tigran Yepremyan is an Associate Professor at the YSU Chair of International Relations and Diplomacy, where he teaches courses including Theories of International Relations, Geopolitics, Modern World History, and American History. He earned his Ph.D. in World History and International Relations from YSU.
His academic career includes teaching History of the Modern World at the American University of Armenia (2002–2003), and serving as an Assistant Professor of Global History at the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait (2018–2020). In 2001, he was a Visiting Scholar in American Studies at Arizona State University in the United States.
He has also been involved in international research and educational collaboration, including the EU projects. He was a Lead Expert and a Member of the Education Policy Advisors Network (EPAN) of the Council of Europe. In 2014–2015, he was a member of the research team for the project Research Beyond the Ivory Tower: Policy and Communications Training for University Teams at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). He is also a graduate of the Estonian School of Diplomacy (2012–2013).
Dr. Yepremyan is an active contributor to the academic community, serving on the editorial boards of several national and international journals. He has authored university textbooks and over 30 academic articles published in international peer-reviewed journals.
Join us for a very special event, hearing from Dr. Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Rector of Yerevan State University and the former Deputy Minister of Education of Armenia, and Dr. Tigran Yepremyan, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations of Yerevan State University. The event is moderated by Professor Rouben Azizian.
The South Caucasus stands at the intersection of competing great powers, trade routes, and diverging geopolitical visions, making its contemporary geopolitics inseparable from the region’s layered historical experiences. This talk examines the interplay between historical legacies and contemporary geopolitical dynamics in the South Caucasus in the wider Eurasian context. It examines how imperial legacies, Soviet-era structures, and post-Soviet nation-building persist in shaping regional conflict patterns, integration preferences, and strategic alignments. Special attention is given to the role of foreign policy choices and in structuring the region’s relationships with major external actors, including the US, Russia, Turkey, the EU, India, and China. By situating current geopolitical shifts within their deeper historical context, the presentation highlights the constraints and opportunities for sustainable development and regional security.
Catering and drinks provided. Attendance is free. Please register in advance.
Biographies of speakers:
Dr. Hovhannes Hovhannisyan is a Professor of Theology, Doctor of Historical Sciences, and academic leader who has served as Rector of Yerevan State University (YSU) since 2021.
Dr. Hovhannisyan has an extensive national and international academic experience including Faculty Development Program at Vanderbilt University (USA, 2008); a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)–supported post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Tübingen (Germany, 2010–2011); the Diplomatic Academy of the Republic of Armenia (2010); a post-doctoral research program at Yale University (USA, 2012–2013); and research work at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen (Germany, 2014). Since 2003, Dr. Hovhannisyan has been a lecturer at the YSU Chair of History and Theory of Religion. He has also taught at Gavar State University (2006–2008), served as a lecturer at the American University of Armenia since 2014, and delivered courses at V. Brusov State Linguistic University and M. Heratsi State Medical University. In 2014, he co-founded the Public Policy Institute of the Research Centre.
Dr. Hovhannisyan has combined academic activity with public service. From May 21, 2018, to January 14, 2019, he served as the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia. On December 9, 2018, he was elected a Member of the National Assembly from the national electoral list of the “My Step” alliance of parties. A member of several international academic organizations, Dr. Hovhannisyan is the author of a monograph and more than 40 scholarly publications in reputable international journals.
Dr. Tigran Yepremyan has served as the Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at Yerevan State University (YSU) since 2023. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the YSU Journal of International Affairs (YSUJIA). Tigran Yepremyan is an Associate Professor at the YSU Chair of International Relations and Diplomacy, where he teaches courses including Theories of International Relations, Geopolitics, Modern World History, and American History. He earned his Ph.D. in World History and International Relations from YSU.
His academic career includes teaching History of the Modern World at the American University of Armenia (2002–2003), and serving as an Assistant Professor of Global History at the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait (2018–2020). In 2001, he was a Visiting Scholar in American Studies at Arizona State University in the United States.
He has also been involved in international research and educational collaboration, including the EU projects. He was a Lead Expert and a Member of the Education Policy Advisors Network (EPAN) of the Council of Europe. In 2014–2015, he was a member of the research team for the project Research Beyond the Ivory Tower: Policy and Communications Training for University Teams at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). He is also a graduate of the Estonian School of Diplomacy (2012–2013).
Dr. Yepremyan is an active contributor to the academic community, serving on the editorial boards of several national and international journals. He has authored university textbooks and over 30 academic articles published in international peer-reviewed journals.
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