TORONTO, July 17, 2026: As the Zoryan Institute approaches its 45th anniversary, it also celebrates another important milestone, 35 years of Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, a journal founded, owned and operated by the Zoryan Institute.
In an era when migration, global mobility, and digital connectivity have transformed the relationship between people and place, diaspora communities play an increasingly influential role in linking countries, cultures, and economies. The field of Diaspora Studies has become essential to understanding how dispersed communities preserve identity while contributing to both their countries of residence and their homelands. The study of diasporas also helps foster greater public understanding of migration, transnationalism, and cultural diversity, and can therefore inform policies and practices that support migrants, refugees and stateless populations who are living away from their homeland.
Since 1991, the Institute’s award-winning peer-reviewed journal, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, published by the University of Toronto Press, has been among the world’s leading publications devoted exclusively to comparative and interdisciplinary diaspora scholarship. Widely recognized as instrumental in establishing Diaspora Studies as a distinct academic field, the journal has published groundbreaking research on migration, identity, memory, homeland-diaspora relations, and the shared experiences of dispersed peoples around the world.
Dispersion
The Institute has extended this scholarship beyond academia through Dispersion, a podcast that addresses issues around identity, home, and belonging. With over 40 guests and 20 episodes released to date, this podcast explores topics ranging from generational differences to how identities relate to land and place. It is an accessible platform for anyone interested in engaging with the field and searching for stories that resonate with their own experiences.
The Diaspora Collection
In recent years, the Zoryan Institute also launched a book series, The Diaspora Collection, dedicated to examining the experiences of individual diaspora communities from a global perspective.
Published to date are volumes on South Asian Diasporas and the Chinese Diaspora. British India, composed of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan, has the largest diaspora, with approximately 30 million strong living abroad. China has ten million, but through ethnic heritage, over 50 million who are scattered around the globe.
More information on the books featured in this series is available on the Institute’s website here: https://zoryaninstitute.org/the-diaspora-collection/.
Zoryan Institute’s “International Conference and Student Workshop on the Armenian Diaspora” (Boston University, 2010)
Diaspora studies help to understand how displaced people maintain culture and influence global societies. We learn more about transnationalism and identity.
Diaspora communities are bridges of knowledge, innovation, investment, culture, and international cooperation. They enrich the societies in which they live while maintaining strong ties to their countries of origin, contributing to their development. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, understanding these relationships is essential.
To support the Zoryan Institute’s continuing work in advancing diaspora scholarship and education, please consider supporting us today: https://zoryaninstitute.org/donate/
