On July 31, 2025, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RA NAS was visited by Ms. Bhaswati Bhattacharya, a Bengali-Indian historian and Armenianologist, senior researcher at the University of Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen), who is currently conducting scientific research in Yerevan.

The meeting took place in the Institute’s International Relations Department. Head of the Department, Araks Pashayan, presented the history and main areas of activity of the Institute to the guest, in particular, the established cooperation with the Indian side. Issues related to the importance of scientific diplomacy were also discussed, as well as the existing perceptions of India in Armenia. Aghavni Harutyunyan, a leading researcher at the Institute, presented the work carried out in the direction of Asian studies, emphasizing the role of public diplomacy and human contacts in the development of scientific cooperation. Ms. Bhattacharya thanked them for the warm welcome and briefly presented her current scientific research, which is related to the history of one of the famous merchant families of Julfa, the Velijanyans. She especially touched upon Khoja Petros Velijanyan, a prominent merchant of the 17th century, who in 1627 built the Church of St. Bethlehem (“Bethlehem of the Square”, currently belonging to the Isfahan Diocese of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia), as well as his relative Voskan Velijanyan.

Ms. Bhattacharya noted that she was deeply impressed by the visit of the Institute of Oriental Studies and expressed hope that cooperation would expand in the future