The “National and Global Dimensions of History: The Armenian Experience” research team at Yerevan State University organizes an academic conference entitled “Identity Crises and Strategies of Renewal: Global and Local Experiences (From Hellenism to Early Modernity)”, that will be held on February 20, 2027, at the Faculty of History of Yerevan State University, Armenia. 

The conference is dedicated to the study of transitional societies, identity crises, and strategies for overcoming them within the framework of the longue durée. It aims to establish an interdisciplinary platform where theoretical approaches and historical experiences will be synthesized to explore the processes of identity formation, disruption, and transformation.

At the core of the discussion is the question of how societies, nations, empires, and civilizations have confronted profound identity crises across different historical periods. The objective is to examine their internal transformations, the role of memory politics, as well as the socio-cultural practices and characteristics of transitional periods in history.

Conference Objectives

From territorial loss and political upheavals to cultural pressures and religious shifts, the forces of change often threaten the very fabric of community identity. We seek to investigate the resilience of the collective: How do societies respond when their foundations are shaken? What mechanisms allow for the successful preservation or radical renewal of identity throughout history?

The conference will focus on the multilayered dimensions of identity (ethnic, national, imperial, religious, civilizational, and linguistic), tracing the processes of their reconfiguration from the Hellenistic period to the Early Modernity. A comparative study of Armenian and global experiences will allow for a deeper understanding of historical dynamics and provide insights into contemporary identity crises.

Thematic Directions

The conference includes, but is not limited to, the following thematic areas:

• Identity crisis as a historical catalyst for nation-building.

• Transitional societies as a historical paradigm: knowledge, interpretation, and education.

• The comparability of global and Armenian historical perspectives.

Key Questions of the Conference։

1. What internal and external factors have historically precipitated identity crises, and how have they manifested in local and global contexts? 

2. What role have historical memory, religious traditions, and myths of origin played in the processes of identity reconstruction and preservation? 

3. What political and legal mechanisms have been employed to preserve statehood or strengthen identity amidst changing world orders? 

4. How can we characterize the experience of identity preservation in the absence or loss of statehood (Armenian and global parallels)? 

5. How have political and intellectual elites formulated pathways out of crises and contributed to the legitimation of identity? 

6. What strategies have enabled reconciliation between the integrity of national identity and the imperatives of modernization?

Contacts

For inquiries, please contact the conference organizers at worldhistoryconf@ysu.am.

Address: Yerevan State University, Faculty of History, 52 Abovyan St.