Armenian philanthropist donates $100,000 to Zoryan Institute

PanARMENIAN.Net - Henry Sarkissian, Armenian philanthropist, noted international businessman, and the president of world-class Contractor in Industrial and Power Projects, has just made the largest donation this year to the Zoryan Institute amounting to $100,000.

Sarkissian, based in Beirut, Lebanon, with offices in several countries of the Gulf, Africa and North America, has been a long-time supporter of the Institute’s mission, which is to serve the cause of scholarship and public awareness relating to issues of universal human rights, genocide, and diaspora-homeland relations, through the systematic and continued efforts of independent scholars.

In response to a letter of gratitude from Zoryan’s president, Mr. Sarkissian simply replied, “The Zoryan Institute deserves our humble donation.” Over the years, he, along with his family, have sponsored conferences, publications, and other activities of the Institute held in Europe, Armenia and North America.

George Shirinian, Executive Director of the Zoryan Institute, remarked, “The Institute has just completed thirty years of service to the academic community and to our people. We look back with pride on the acknowledgement we have received from community and government leaders, scholars, students, and the thousands of supporters, large and small, who have encouraged us in our work. It is only with their help that Zoryan has been able to achieve as much as it has. We are excited as we look forward to what the next thirty years will bring!”

Prof. Roger W. Smith, the chairman of Zoryan’s Academic Board, declared, “We are grateful for the generosity of Mr. Sarkissian. This kind of “noble” donation not only brings enthusiasm to people at the Institute, but also reinforces the commitment of its directors, the staff and the volunteers to work even harder in conducting their academic work, including research, analysis and publication on issues related to the forces that shape modern Armenian life, politics, history and identity in a global context. We are hopeful that others will follow Mr. Sarkissian’s example.”

The Zoryan Institute is the parent organization of the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, which runs an annual, accredited university program on the subject and is co-publisher of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal in partnership with the International Association of Genocide Scholars and the University of Toronto Press. It is the first non-profit, international center devoted to the research and documentation of contemporary issues with a focus on Genocide, Diaspora and Armenia.