Series: COG

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐑𝐅’𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐧

Following the trilateral Karabakh ceasefire of Nov 9, the Armenian opposition has nearly universally condemned Nikol Pashinyan’s agreement to the deal. The largest opposition grouping, called Movement of the Salvation of the Homeland (Հայրենիքի փրկության շաժում in Armenian), composed of 17 political parties including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Prosperous Armenia, and the Republican Party, are demanding Pashinyan’s immediate resignation and the appointment of their unified candidate, Vazgen Manukyan as interim PM.

This group has been

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The Role of The Humanities and Social Studies in Armenian Life - 12/13/2020

Conversations on Groong

Academia and academic work, especially in the fields of humanities and social sciences, has always been instrumentalized by various ideologies and/or political regimes. Moreover, various disciplines within each of those fields such as anthropology, art history, literature, etc., have a long tradition of being the middle children of academia and are rarely considered to have a role in shaping minds and trends in society. In Armenia the roles of humanities and social science have undergone

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On November 9, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia signed The Statement ending the war in Artsakh, known more commonly as Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia emerged as a major winner, by ending the violence, introducing peacekeepers, and upholding its historical role as the regional referee in the Caucasus. What are Russia’s interests in the region, and in this agreement?

𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 helps us explore. He is a historian and a Ph.D. candidate in Russian History at the Ohio State University. His analyses on Russia, Armenia, and the post-Soviet space have appeared in several publications, including The

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Conversations on Groong

Soviet or Armenian? The Life and Times of Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan

Born in Sanahin, Armenia in 1895, Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan was the most prominent Soviet state figure of Armenian origin. A survivor, Mikoyan managed to weather every Soviet leader from Lenin to Brezhnev. He was once the #2 man in Moscow after Nikita Khrushchev, and his legacy is complex. Today on Groong, we will explore this extraordinary historical figure.

To help us unpack the historical legacy of Mikoyan, 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 joins us today from Cleveland. Pietro is a historian and a Ph.D. candidate

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Conversations on Groong: Artsakh in the Arab Media - Oct 28, 2020

Since September 27, Azerbaijan has been waging an all out war on Artsakh, cluster-bombing towns and villages and killing civilians and destroying churches and cultural centers, with the aim to destroy and depopulate the region. The worldwide Armenian Diaspora has come together to fight this existential threat.

We’ve read much about the Diaspora’s activities around most of the world, but what about the Arab world? This episode explores some of the challenges and opportunities that the Armenian communities in the Arab world face.

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Conversations on Groong - October 3, 2020

It has now been 7 days since Azerbaijan initiated a wide-scale attack against Armenia and Artsakh. The tragic news of deaths and destruction continue to stream in every hour.

In today’s conversation on Groong, we talk to Jirair Libaridian and Thomas DeWaal about the regional geopolitics that helped create a ripe environment for renewed fighting and various potential scenarios that may develop as a result of it.

Questions explored:

• What was the path leading to the latest escalation?
• Why has Turkey taken an active role in the conflict?
• Was Russia caught

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Armenian News Network/Groong: 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚 - 𝐒𝐞𝐩 𝟏𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎)

Conversations on Groong

Background and formulation of the telecoms market in Armenia

Telecommunications market in Armenia started with the monopoly of the incumbent operator ArmenTel owned jointly by Greek state owned company OTE (90%) and Armenian government (10%). The sale-purchase agreement granted ArmenTel (recently rebranded to VEON) exclusive rights to provide basic telecommunications services including international Internet connectivity, mobile and fixed telephony. ArmenTel’s monopoly remained till

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𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐲 - 𝟎𝟗/𝟎𝟓/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎

Conversations on Groong

Armenia has European grade laws in the areas of finance, business, data protection and privacy. What is preventing Armenia from achieving its full potential in foreign direct investment (FDI)? Why do many Armenian startups incorporate in foreign countries, and use Armenia as their offshore labor resource?

Our Guest is David Sandukhchyan is a lawyer with 20 years of experience in telecommunications, cyber law, media and personal data protection. He started his legal career as an Internet freedom advocate and

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𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚 - 𝟎𝟖/𝟏𝟎/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 Conversations on Groong 𝐀𝐬𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐨𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐚𝐧 talks with 𝐀𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢𝐚𝐧 & 𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐃𝐯𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐧

Topics:

Background of education reform(s) in Armenia In depth analysis of the content, standards & measurable outcomes of the proposed curriculum’s history & literature segments. Challenges of implementing the proposed curriculum

In recent months, Armenia’s government has published its proposal for K-12 curriculum reform in Armenian schools. The new curriculum, which includes education standards and learning outcomes, proved to be quite controversial with many

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