It Takes a Diaspora to Raise a Language: Future Directions for Armenian

The USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, in partnership with the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, presents It Takes a Diaspora to Raise a Language: Future Directions for Armenian, an interdisciplinary conference to be held February 27–March 1, 2026, at the University of Southern California’s Taper Hall of Humanities in Los Angeles.

At the heart of the conference is a forward-looking question: How can the Armenian language thrive in the Diaspora? Moving beyond narratives of loss or decline, the conference centers examples of innovation, creativity, and success. It highlights initiatives, strategies, and targeted efforts that sustain and invigorate Armenian—across its literary standards as well as its colloquial and dialectal forms, and across generations and geographies.

The program is designed to foster dialogue between research and lived practice. It features a dynamic mix of academic panels, roundtables, keynote lectures, live conversations, and practitioner showcases, encouraging exchange across disciplines and professional roles. Central to this approach is collaboration between scholars and those actively engaged in language education, cultural production, and community-based work.

The conference is free of charge and open to the public. Its working languages are English and Armenian.

RSVP is required.

Dates: February 27, February 28, and March 1, 2026

Location: USC Taper Hall of Humanities, 3501 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089

Parking: USC McCarthy Structure, 620 McCarthy Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089

A preliminary program is available here.

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Host or Publisher USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies