American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC)

The American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) encourages and supports scholarly study of the South Caucasus states (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) across all disciplines of the Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences. Incorporated in 2006, ARISC currently has representatives in Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan, who serve to facilitate research and nurture scholarly ties between institutions and individuals.

ARISC’s mission is to promote and encourage American research in the region and to foster intellectual inquiry across boundaries within the South Caucasus as well as between the South Caucasus and its neighbors. The exchange of scholars and scholarly information will be encouraged by ARISC’s support for conferences, fellowships, publications, teaching resources, and other forms of cooperation for use both in the United States and in the host countries where the Institute is located.

ARISC is an American Overseas Research Center, an independent not-for-profit, that supports research in and about Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, both in the South Caucasus and the US. A member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), ARISC offers fellowships, programming and research support. ARISC is an Affiliate Organization of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES). An idea initiated during a gathering in Chicago one weekend in 2005, ARISC was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in Illinois and secured 501(c)3 status in 2007.

Any generally recognized academic or educational institution in the United States or Canada, or any association of such institutions, may become an Institutional Member, upon application to ARISC and election by a majority of Directors.

UCLA holds an annual institutional membership managed by the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.*

The institutional membership benefits include:

• Members may be eligible to apply for the ARISC Graduate/Postdoctoral Fellowship competition.
• ARISC also works to publicize members’ scholarly events that are pertinent to the South Caucasus, and offers modest funds for co-sponsoring events.
• Members have the opportunity shape ARISC programs, activities, and offerings in the South Caucasus, if they choose to serve on a variety of advisory bodies.
• Access to a discussion group gives members immediate news on the latest scholarly developments and opportunities in the region.
• An annual newsletter and member directory are invaluable resources for following ARISC’s work and networking with a wider community of scholars.

*We would like to thank Dr. Lara Fabian for serving as UCLA’s representative to ARISC and for her service as Secretary of the ARISC Executive Committee.