On 16 April, the Mashtots Publishing House hosted Hayk Hambardzumyan, a literary scholar and specialist in epics with a PhD in Philology. For the aspiring translators in attendance, the meeting was not only a professional exchange, but also a source of inspiration and an opportunity to rethink their creative paths.

At the heart of the discussion were the national epic as a pillar of identity and literary translation as the art of building bridges between cultures. Hayk Hambardzumyan shared his passion for literature, presenting his own research, academic work and unique reading perspectives.

Students from the School of Translation asked a wide range of questions, covering everything from the challenges of linguistic and cultural adaptation to the subtleties of engaging with contemporary literature. Mr Hambardzumyan emphasised the translator’s responsibility not only to the text, but also to the reader and the language itself, highlighting the need for deep analysis, linguistic awareness and literary integrity.

As a gesture of appreciation and support, Mr Hambardzumyan donated several of his published works to the school library, thereby enriching both the collective resource base and the individual learning journeys.

Although there were many topics to discuss and time was limited, the meeting left a lasting impression. The School of Translation would like to express its sincere gratitude to Mr Hambardzumyan for sharing his expertise, insight and genuine enthusiasm. We look forward to continued collaboration.