Suren Manukyan, a researcher at YSU Institute of Armenian Studies, has been elected as the vice-chair of the Council of Europe’s Observatory on History Teaching in Europe.
The Council of Europe launched the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe in November 2020 as an Enlarged Partial Agreement.
"The primary function of the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe is to monitor the teaching of history in the Council of Europe member states, as it is believed that conflicts between countries often arise based on problematic information presented to younger generations during history lessons. In other words, elements of nationalism, intolerance, or even a lack of tolerance might emerge during teaching," stated researcher Suren Manukyan.
He explained that the observatory examines how the subject of "History" is taught in the member countries of the Council of Europe. However, its role is not to censor but to observe and analyze.
"We aim to understand at what grade level the subject of 'History' is taught in different countries, what teaching methods are used, and what the main focus is: knowledge, skills, or competences. We have already reached the stage of discussing specific textbooks and curricula. The 2026 report will focus on curriculum discussions, while the 2027 report will address textbooks," he said.
Suren Manukyan also added that the observatory regularly publishes various guides to improve the quality of history teaching. These materials are available online on the observatory's website. In addition, the observatory organizes conferences every year to discuss new methodologies in history teaching and presentation, in which both teachers and students can participate.
"Every three years, we publish a comprehensive report on the state of history teaching. We have also published two thematic reports, addressing natural disasters in history textbooks, their presentation in teaching, and the reflection of economic crises and economic development in school textbooks," Suren Manukyan noted.
He emphasized that one of the conferences held last year discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on history teaching, while another focused on how to combat the spread of historical falsifications on online platforms.
"Representatives from nearly all member states of the օbservatory emphasize that there is an increasing skepticism towards the subject of 'History' in their countries, which is partly because history seems to be failing in its main role—to analyze the past and prevent future conflicts," stated Suren Manukyan. He also noted that the օbservatory plays an important role in offering potential solutions to the crisis in historiography.
Armenia is one of the founding members of the Council of Europe’s Observatory on History Teaching in Europe. Suren Manukyan has been working in this organization since its inception, with his candidacy being proposed by the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has been a member of the observatory’s bureau for the last four years and was recently elected vice-chair, with the opportunity to be re-elected in two years.
The Observatory on History Teaching in Europe is currently chaired by Dimitris Sotiropoulos, who also serves as the director of the National Archives of Greece.
The founding member countries alongside Armenia include Albania, Andorra, France, Cyprus, Ukraine, Georgia, Luxembourg, Malta, Greece, Ireland, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Russia, Turkey, and Slovenia. Today, the organization has 20 full member countries.
"The Council of Europe encourages its member states to join the organization, but, for example, Azerbaijan has refused to become a member. I have examined Azerbaijan's textbooks, and there are many problematic issues, so numerous questions would arise during the observation phase. Also, due to the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia has been removed from the organization," said Suren Manukyan.
He emphasized that the observatory collaborates with Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports and NCEDI Foundation. It is planned to organize an event for teachers at YSU this autumn, during which the findings of the research will be presented to improve the quality of history teaching and increase interest in the subject of 'History'.
