Crossroads of Culture: Advancing Armenian Studies at Shandong University of Aeronautics, China

The Shandong University of Aeronautics in China is committed to the advancement of Armenology through a diverse array of scholarly and outreach activities. On November 9th, the History Department convened a lecture delivered by Dr. Ani Margaryan, an esteemed Armenian art historian and current post-doctoral fellow at Soochow University. Dr. Margaryan presented her research entitled “Formation of Multicultural Identity: Taxonomy of the Armenian Merchant’s National Costume and Its Cultural Affiliations within the Silk Road Trade Network.” The lecture was supplemented by audiovisual material and represented a pioneering initiative to reconstruct the national attire of the Armenian mercantile class from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The discourse emphasized the integral role of merchants in the Armenian diasporic milieu and elucidated their profound connections to international trade networks with China. It also examined how these economic interactions were manifested in material culture, specifically through artifacts, clothing, and accessories.

This engagement marks the second academic collaboration between Dr. Ani Margaryan and the Shandong University of Aeronautics, following her prior lecture focused on an art-historical discourse regarding the Armenian national costume. It is pertinent to highlight that Shandong University of Aeronautics stands as one of the few institutions within the People’s Republic of China possessing a dedicated department for the promotion and dissemination of Armenian studies, thereby fostering engagement among both Chinese and international scholars, and establishing substantive partnerships with Armenian academic institutions.