Recently, UW Department of Communication Assistant Professor Katy Pearce spoke at Innovate Armenia, an event held by the Institute of Armenian Studies on University of Southern California’s main campus. Innovate Armenia was an event billed as a festival of music, fast-paced talks, and exhibitions of innovative technological work which preserves and promotes the best of Armenian culture. Global innovators, change-makers, artists, and musicians presented the best of innovative thought, innovative music, and innovative activism.
Speakers from around the world spoke about various aspects of identity at Innovate Armenia. Among them was Pearce, who provided fascinating insight into the modern landscape of Armenian internet connectivity. In her talk, “Innovating for Whom: Armenians Online and Offline,” Pearce highlighted her research around how and why Armenian society connects to the internet. She highlighted the importance of mobile devices in Armenia households and their impact on the ways in which the population accesses the internet. Pearce wrapped up by emphasizing the connection between positive economic uplift in Armenia and internet connectivity innovation with the population.
The Institute of Armenian Studies supports multidisciplinary scholarship to re-define, explore, and study the complex issues that make up the contemporary Armenian experience. The event is part of a wide range of initiatives aimed at engaging the evolving Armenian Diaspora.
“Innovate Armenia is as much about building community, as it is about innovation. It’s a unique opportunity to bring together those who know, and those who care, in order to transform the Armenian conversation about our future,” said Salpi Ghazarian, director of the Institute of Armenian Studies. “Everyone is welcome to engage in a new kind of Armenian experience.”
Watch Katy Pearce at Innovate Armenia here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk5owPoo6OI