Gurdjieff Armenia 2025 Conference
September 17-20
Organized by the Narekatsi Chair in Armenian Studies, UCLA
Co-sponsored by the Institute for Armenian Studies, Yerevan State University
together with the Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, University of Southern California, and with the support of the George Ignatius Foundation and the Armen and Gloria Hampar Family Foundation, Los Angeles.
Wednesday: September 17
Venue: National Centre of Chamber Music, Yerevan
7:30 p.m. Registration
8:00 p.m. Opening Concert: Gurdjieff–de Hartmann Music in the Western Tradition
Featured artists: Yleana Bautista de la Torre & Lusine Grigoryan (piano), Yerevan Voices Choir, directed by Hasmik Vardanyan
Thursday: September 18
Venue: Yerevan State University, Academic Council Hall
9:00 a.m. Registration
10:00–10:30 a.m. Opening Session
Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Rector of YSU
Vahram Petrosyan, Director, Institute for Armenian Studies, YSU
Shushan Karapetyan, Director, Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, USC
S. Peter Cowe, Narekatsi Professor of Armenian Studies, UCLA
10:30–11:10 a.m. Opening Keynote Address
Dr. Roger Lipsey (Gurdjieff Foundation, New York)
“The Work and the World: Only he may enter here…”
Panel 1: Gurdjieff and Religious Thought (11:10 a.m.–12:40 p.m.)
Moderator: Prof. Vahram Petrosyan, Yerevan State University
11:10–11:40 Prof. Alexander Safaryan (Yerevan State University), Vahram Petrosyan (Yerevan State University), Arman Safaryan (Armenian-Russian University):“Grigor Narekatsi, Sufism, and Gurdjieff from a Middle Eastern Studies Perspective”
11:40–12:10 Dr. Joseph Azize (Dept. of Studies in Religion, University of Sydney):“The Surb Patarag (Holy Eucharist) of the Armenian Orthodox Church as Interpreted by Reference to Gurdjieff”
12:10–12:40 Dr. Steven Sutcliffe (Visiting Fellow, University of Sydney):
“Gurdjieff and the Multipolar Guru Field: From West Asia to Europe”
12:40–1:50 p.m. Lunch Break
1:50–2:30 p.m. Second Keynote Lecture
Prof. Michael Pittman (Inaugural Director of General Education, American University of Armenia):“Gurdjieff’s View of Education in Beelzebub’s Tales to his Grandson (Revisited)”
Panel 2: Gurdjieff and Science (2:35–4:35 p.m.)
Moderator: Dr. Robert Sukiasyan, Institute for Armenian Studies, Yerevan State University.
2:35–3:05 Dimitri Peretzi (Gurdjieff Foundation of Greece): “How Scientific is Gurdjieff’s Science?”
3:05–3:35 T.J. Clark (Neuroscientist, NJ): “Sacred Neuroscience”
3:35–4:05 Prof. Davit‘ R. Mosinyan (Dept of Philosophy, Yerevan State University): “Self-Designation as a Linguistic and Ontological Challenge”
4:05–4:35 Ani Bostanian (Gurdjieff School in Armenia): “The Teaching of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff: A Fourth Way to Conscious Evolution by Fulfilling Being-Partkdolgduty”
4:35–4:55 p.m. Coffee Break
Panel 3: The Study of Gurdjieff’s Teaching in Russia (4:55–5:55 p.m.)
Moderator: Prof. Valter Berberyan (Department of Armenia Language, Yerevan State University)
4:55–5:25 Mikhail Koshubarov (Moscow Gurdjieff Group): “Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way in Modern Russia”
5:25–5:55 Dr. Alexey Iskakov (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences):“Meetings with Remarkable Men as an Allegory of Spiritual Work in the Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff”
7:30–9:30 p.m. Screening of Michael Goorjian’s film “Amerikatsi” (2022)
Followed by Q&A with the director on the influence of Gurdjieff’s teaching on his work.
Friday, September 19
9:00–9:55 a.m. Registration
Exhibition of Gurdjieff Publications (YSU Main Library)
9:55–10:00 Introduction
10:00–10:40 Third Keynote Address
Prof. Carole Cusack (Dept. of Religious Studies, University of Sydney):
“Gurdjieff and Modernity: Science Fiction as a Work Textual Technique”
Panel 4: Gurdjieff and his Formation in Southern Caucasia (10:45 a.m.–12:40 p.m.)
Moderator: Prof. Bálint Kovács, Chair of the Dept. of Armenian and Southeastern European History Studies, Pázmány Peter Catholic University, Budapest
10:45–11:15 Dr. Gayane Shagoyan (Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Yerevan): “Gurdjieff’s Alexandrapol: Urban Humor and Cultural Habitus”
11:15–11:45 Prof. Elke Shoghig Hartmann (Institute of Ottoman Studies and Turcology, Free University of Berlin): “Gurdjieff and Kars”
11:45–12:15 Prof. Levan Khetaguri (Arts Research Center of Georgia, Gurdjieff Institute, Tbilisi): “Gurdjieff and Tbilisi”
12:15–12:45 Avetik Melik-Sargsyan (Gurdjieff Armenian Center, Gyumri): “George Gurdjieff’s Armenian Identity”
12:45–1:45 p.m. Lunch
Panel 5: Gurdjieff and the Arts (1:45–3:10 p.m.)
Moderator: Prof. Michael Pittman (Inaugural Director of General Education, American University of Armenia
1:45–2:10 Lawrence Rosenthal (composer, musician, musicologist): “Gurdjieff-de Hartmann Music: Exploring Musical Theory” [Recording]
2:10–2:40 Prof. Lusine Grigoryan (Komitas Yerevan State Conservatory): “The Music of Gurdjieff/de Hartmann and Contemporary Musical Life in Gyumri and Tiflis”
2:40–3:10 Prof. Lilit Yernjakyan (Institute of Art of the Armenian Academy of Sciences): “The East in the Context of Gurdjieff’s Musical Legacy”
3:10–3:30 p.m. Coffee Break
Panel 6: The Gurdjieff Movements (3:30–5:25 p.m.)
Moderator: Dr. Anatolii Tokmantcev, Pázmány Peter Catholic University, Budapest
3:30–4:55 Film Screening: “Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Seekers of Truth” (1978, dir. Jean-Claude Lubtchansky)
4:55–5:25 Vergine Gulbenkian (Gurdjieff Foundation, London):“A Living Practice: Reflections on Working with Gurdjieff’s Movements”
Saturday, September 20
Final Session in the Black Fortress, Gyumri
3:30–4:10 p.m. Final Keynote Address
The Revd. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault (Center for Action and Contemplation):“G.I. Gurdjieff, Trinitarian Master”
5:00–6:30 p.m. Concert by the Gurdjieff Ensemble directed by Levon Eskenian with the participation of the Gyumri State Music Academy Choir directed by Arpine Manukyan.