Tatev Hovhannisyan, the Academic Director at the Oxford School for the Future of Journalism, was interviewed by Oriente Medio News from Chile about the newly-founded RUTA Association for Central, South-Eastern, Eastern Europe, Baltic, Caucasus, Central, and Northern Asia Studies.

“The goal was to create a space to engage in conversations closer to home,” said Tatev, who serves as RUTA’s Advisory Board member. “RUTA aims to tackle academic and artistic constraints by serving as a platform for marginalised voices and fostering collaborations. By hosting conferences, initially in Ukraine, and expanding them globally, RUTA ensures accessibility for scholars worldwide,” she added.

The association came together through the efforts of young scholars, artists, journalists, NGOs, and social justice advocates from the aforementioned regions in response to Russia’s 2022 escalation of its war against Ukraine. Tatev, based in Armenia, talked about RUTA’s efforts to create an alternative space for regional studies and bring regional issues, like the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, to equitable attention.

RUTA’s first conference (“Re(kn)own: Region(s) from Within”) will take place in Ukraine between June 27-30, 2024.

Read the interview (Spanish)