Distinguished Professor Anna Ohanian from Stonehill College in Massachusetts at YSU

Recently, the scientific community has shown great interest in the historical foundations of democratic politics. Anna Ohanian, Richard B. Finnegan Distinguished Professor of the Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Studies at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, winner of the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) award, also conducted research on this topic.  

At the meeting held at the initiative of the ARISC and with the support of the YSU Faculty of International Relations, Anna Ohanian provided a comprehensive overview of her research. 

In her study titled "Decolonizing Democracy in the South Caucasus: The Imperial Roots of Participatory Politics in Armenia and Georgia", A. Ohanian referred to the impact of the imperial system on democratization. The research specifically delves into the transition to the democratic governance system in the South Caucasus states and its structural features.  

Speaking about the idea of ​​conducting the study, the professor emphasized. "While writing my last book, I dedicated significant focus to examining the effects of the imperial social order across various fields. Particularly, I observed how the imperial social order influenced the escalation of conflicts. Then I delved into exploring the extent to which imperial legacies shaped the modern dynamics of democratic transformation and the dismantlement of authoritarianism. I addressed the mentioned questions more comprehensively within the scope of this research."

Presenting the details of the study, Anna Ohanian noted that Western European statehood was established much earlier, and democratization only began to develop after the European experience of statehood had already been well established. 

"In the post-Soviet environment, attempts to form statehood in small countries and transition to democracy took place concurrently. Thus, in states such as Armenia and Georgia, despite the influence of the imperial social order, the roots of democracy were formed before the formation of statehood," said Anna Ohanian.

As part of the study, the professor cooperated with young researchers from Armenia and Georgia, who assisted her by conducting archival research.

Representatives from Georgia, involved in the research program and interested in the topic, actively participated in the online presentation of the research findings concerning the governance systems of the regional countries.

The study titled "Decolonizing Democracy in the South Caucasus: The Imperial Origins of Participatory Politics in Armenia and Georgia" was conducted with funding from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

It's worth noting that Anna Ohanian has authored and edited over 5 books. Her latest book, "The Neighborhood Effect: The Imperial Roots of Regional Fracture in Eurasia", was published in 2022 by Stanford University Press (USA).