April 6, 2022: The Zoryan Institute is pleased to share updates on the initial success of Season One of its new Dispersion Podcast, streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Since its launch in January, the podcast has continued to grow and reach global audiences, with listeners tuning in from Australia, South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, India, Armenia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, among others. Of particular significance to the Zoryan Institute’s mission of raising awareness around issues of human rights, genocide, and diaspora-homeland relations through scholarship and education, the podcast has performed well in Apple Podcasts’ Education category, ranking among the top podcasts in this category in Georgia, Armenia, Greece, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Israel, and Austria.
Prof. Alex Alvarez of Northern Arizona University, and Deputy Chair of the Zoryan Institute’s Academic Board of Directors, praised the Dispersion Podcast during the Institute’s 2021 Board Meeting:
“I think the podcast is an incredibly important initiative. Everyone listens to podcasts. They have the ability to blend current issues with the Institute’s areas of focus.”
Professor Shushan Karapetian, Deputy Director of the University of Southern California Institute of Armenia Studies recently commented on the value of Dispersion as an educational tool in the field of Diaspora Studies:
“I used the episode [titled The Generational Cappuccino] as required course material to jumpstart a conversation on the Armenian diaspora(s) and just how heterogenous it is. The pairing of father and daughter, different generations, gender dynamics, upbringings, and so on were just so ripe for discussion… My students had such visceral reactions and it sparked into an excellent conversation in class.”
Similar sentiments were offered by Professor Athena Madan, Season One podcast guest and Assistant Professor in the School of Humanitarian Studies at Royal Roads University:
“I have referred the series out to students and colleagues who have expressed great appreciation for the questions and conversations that incite such meaningful reflection.”
University of Toronto Press commented on the value of Dispersion as a complimentary resource to Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies:
“We are delighted about the launch of the Zoryan Institute’s Dispersion. University of Toronto Press and the Zoryan Institute have a long history of publishing critical scholarship on the history, culture, social structure, politics, and economics of diasporas as part of Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies. Dispersion will extend the reach of the invaluable research published in the journal and broaden the discussion of these critical themes.”
Dispersion navigates questions around home, identity and belonging through storytelling. Through conversations with individuals from diverse communities, Dispersion celebrates the experiences of Canadians living away from, and returning to, their homelands, and explores important theories and topics related to diaspora and transnational studies. Visit this page to learn more and listen to Season One today, and follow Dispersion Podcast on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest announcements!
