KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

On April 24, students and academic staff members of Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan to mark the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

ASPU representatives laid a wreath at the hilltop memorial in memory of the 1.5 million Armenians massacred by the Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923, bowed in silence to honor the innocent victims.

The demand of the pedagogues, who carried placards and posters condemning the genocide, is the same a century later – recognition of the Armenian Genocide, restoration of justice, demand and appeal to Turkey to admit and recognize the crime committed against Armenians.

Professor Ashot Piliposyan, Head of the Chair of Armenian History, is sure that we shall have a big and powerful country. However, he says in today's developing world one needs to be prepared for new challenges and we need to take definite steps and be consistent in our demands. The historian says emotional, attractive and short-term proposals will not resolve the problem and stresses that the young generation is more pragmatic in that regard. “In their graduate papers, many future historians studying at the Pedagogical University refer to the establishment of the First Republic, the First World War and the Armenian Genocide. This shows that the problem exists and is still relevant today. Professional depth and accuracy… The knowledge and information transferred to pupils and students must be logical, thanks to this, it will be able to achieve results,” the historian added.

Every year, Armenian State Pedagogical University joins the daylong procession to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to mark the anniversary of the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman forces.