The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) held its annual meeting in the Palais des Congrès in Montreal, Canada, in conjunction with the Middle East Studies Association's(MESA) Conference (November 17-21, 2007).
The highlight at the Montreal conference was a panel sponsored jointly by the SAS and the Turkish Studies Association dedicated to the memory of slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.
The session titled "On Hrant Dink and Turkish-Armenian Relations" was organized by the presidents of the two associations, Professors Richard Hovannisian of UCLA andAndras Riedlmayer of Harvard. The panel attracted an overflow audience of more than 200 academics, including specialists in Turkish and Armenian studies as well as colleagues from other fields.
After remarks by both organizers, Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian of Cambridge University spoke on "Hrant Dink before Hrant Dink: Armenians in Turkey." He was followed by Dr. Fatma Müge Göçek of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who discussed "Hrant Dink and Turkish-Armenian Dialogue." The third panelist was Professor Levon Zekiyanof Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, who assessed "Hrant Dink’s Innovative Approach to Armenian-Turkish Relations. Its Context, Challenge and Prospects."
The final presentation was by journalist Etyen Mahçupyan, who now edits Hrant Dink’s newspaper Agos, with his reflections on "Agos and the Hrant Dink Foundation: Looking at the Future."
The panel was filled with deep emotion and was received enthusiastically by the large, mixed audience.