The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, Inc. (NAASR) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, launched in March 1955 with a vision to promote Armenian Studies through scholarship, research, and publication. To realize this goal, NAASR has established endowed chairs, professorships, scholarships, fellowships, academic departments, and courses in Armenian Studies at some of the foremost universities in the United States. NAASR collaborates with universities, foundations, and similar organizations to advance Armenian Studies and research and serves as the bridge from these institutions and scholars to the public.
Since 1955, NAASR’s lecture series has been one of the most effective ways for scholars to connect with the public on a vast array of subjects, including: art, architecture, linguistics, literature, the Armenian Genocide, the current political situation in Armenia and Turkey, and developments in Eurasia and the South Caucasus. The presenters are leaders in their fields and hail from the United States as well as Armenia, Turkey, Lebanon, Australia, England, Ethiopia, Canada, and many other countries. Approximately half of NAASR’s lectures occur in New England and the remaining throughout the United States.
NAASR has also sponsored or co-sponsored more than twenty national and international conferences and symposia, including both the earliest and most recent Armenian Studies conferences in the United States.
Home to the Edward and Helen Mardigian Research Library (on site and online), NAASR assists scholars and researchers worldwide. The NAASR Bookstore (online and on site) has over 1700 titles, ranging in topics from art, architecture, and history to cookbooks, children's literature, and novels.