«Լիբանանյան էսքիզներ» (շարունակություն)

The article continues the "Lebanese Sketches" series and is devoted to the history and current situation of the Armenian Evangelical community of Lebanon, as well as to the activities of hAykazian University in Beirut — the only Armenian university in the Spyurk (Diaspora).

Introduction and Historical-Confessional Context

The author examines the Armenian-Protestant community as the least known part of the Armenian diaspora, noting:

the emergence of the movement as a result of missionary work in the Ottoman Empire (the founding of the "Pious Brotherhood" in 1836, the excommunication of Armenian Protestants from the Armenian Apostolic Church in 1846, and their recognition as a separate "millet" in 1850);
the existence of three modern centers of Armenian Protestantism — in Beirut, Paris, and New Jersey;
the community's heavy losses during the years of the Genocide.

Key Argument

The author's central thesis is the inadmissibility of substituting religious affiliation for national commonality, a practice employed in the Ottoman Empire in the interests of the authorities. It is emphasized that a nation is defined above all by its Fatherland, and that the division of Armenians along confessional lines (the Ottoman millet system) was aimed at undermining the notion of a sovereign nation. In this connection, the author insists on recognizing the unity of Armenianness regardless of the religious affiliation of its representatives — whether atheists, Muslims, Protestants, or Catholics — while preserving the special historical connection with the Armenian Apostolic Church.

hAykazian University: History and Structure

A significant part of the article is devoted to hAykazian University, founded in 1955 by the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East and the Armenian Missionary Association of America. The following are covered:

the history of the university's name — in memory of Armenak hAykazian, who perished during the deportations of 1921;
the stages of institutional development — from a liberal arts college to university status (1996);
the current structure — four academic buildings, faculties of business, humanities, and natural sciences;
the multicultural composition of the student body (52% Armenians, 48% predominantly Arabs), with Armenians playing the leading role in the administration.

Armenian Studies and Educational Mission

Special attention is given to the Armenian Studies division of the Faculty of Humanities and to the scholarly journal Haigazian Armenological Review, published since 1970 (27 volumes). The words of Antranig Dakessian, head of the Student Life Office, are cited regarding the principles of integrating Armenian and non-Armenian students, the mandatory courses on Armenian culture, and the university's role as an "Armenian embassy" within Lebanese society.

Library Collections

The article notes the high level of the university's library holdings — the Bartlett (Barsoumian) Library (36,500 volumes) and the Armenian Library (32,596 volumes, 136 periodicals), which include the archive of Armenak hAykazian and complete sets of historical periodicals ("Bazmavep," "hAndes Amsorya," "Mourtch," and others).

Conclusion

The author concludes that hAykazian University represents a successful example of preserving Armenian identity amid the multicultural and politically turbulent environment of Lebanon, and also demonstrates practical cooperation among representatives of different Armenian confessions in service of a common educational cause.