The 20th anniversary of the Summer Intensive Course of Armenian Language and Culture of Ca Foscari University of Venice organized in collaboration with the Cultural Association Padus-Araxes has been mentioned with solemnity on international level on August 5th through 6th. The following official guests arrived on this occasion at Venice: Prof. Vladimir BARKHUDARYAN Vice-President and Academician Secretary of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Ms. Anahit Sirunian General Consul of the Republic of Armenia for Italy representing the Ambassador Mr. Ruben Shugaryan Prof. Marc NICHANIAN Chair of Armenian Studies at Columbia University New York who also was the keynote speaker at the academic celebration. Many other guests came also to Venice from Italy France England Germany Austria Switzerland among whom Prof.s Valentina Calzolari Chair of Armenian Studies at the University of Genève and General Secretary of the Association des Études Arméniennes (AIEA) Theo van Lint Chair of Armenian Studies at Oxford and Treasurer of AIEA. Media were represented by Mr. Arthur Bakhtamyan of the National Television of Armenia Mrs. Léontine Ozkirichian of France-Arménie and Mr. Roger Kasparian of Nouvelles d’Arménie Magazine. Augural messages were sent on this happy occasion by the following religious and civil authorities: H.H. Garegin II Catholicos of All Armenians H.H. Aram I Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia H.B. Nerses Bedros XIX Catholicos Patriarch of the Catholic Armenians of Cilicia Mr. Robert Kocharyan President of the RA Mr. Arthur Baghdasaryan President of the National Assembly of RA Mr. Gagik Harutunian President of the Constitutional Court of RA Mr. Hovik Hoveyan Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs of RA Prof. Fadey Sargsyan President of ANAS Prof. Radick Martirosyan Rector of Yerevan State University and member of ANAS Prof. Henrik Bakhchinyan Director of E. Charents Museum of Literature and Art Prof. Jos Weitenberg President of AIEA Prof. Josef A. Kéchichian President of the Society for Armenian Studies Prof. Riccardo Zipoli Director of the Department of Eurasian Studies of Ca’ Foscari Prof. Dario Calimani Director of the Interfaculty Linguistic Center of Ca’ Foscari. The celebrations were opened on August 5 Friday afternoon at the main Hall of the magnificent University Building the 17th century Venetian Palace Ca’ Dario with a speech putting in light the role and significance of the Armenian Intensive Summer Course in the frame of Ca’ Foscari University’s research and didactic activity by the Rector Prof. Pier Luigi Ghetti. This was followed by the lecture of the various augural messages. The floor was then taken by Prof. Marc Nichanian keynote speaker of the day whose title was: Culture in exile or culture of exile? . Prof. Nichanian made a keen analysis in English of the meaning and of the function of this intensive course as an institutional praxis and an institution itself in Armenian life and culture. This first day celebration was concluded with the presentation of a documentary entitled The Long Journey to the West of Ignored Armenian Treasures” by Gerald PAPASIAN actor and stage-manager who was the art director and scenario writer of the first audiovisual course on video-tapes for Armenian entitled Hayeren Khosink” and produced in 1993 by the Padus-Araxes Association. A gala dinner headed by a tamada according to tradition closed the day. The second day’s celebrations were held on August 6 Saturday morning in the main Hall the splendid Sala degli Specchi of the Moorat-Raphael College Ca’ Zenobio. They opened with the prolusion in Armenian of Prof. Vladimir Barkhudaryan who put in light the meaning and the function of the Intensive Course in the frame of international armenology and of the relations between Armenian and diaspora. Then Fr. Levon Zekiyan gave a brief concise explanation of the basic philosophy and policy that have been guiding this Course during all these twenty years and outlined proposals for the near future. He particularly stressed on the generous and highly professional contribution of the teaching staff considering it as one the main factors of the positive results reached in these years. He also affirmed his deep and unconditional admiration and veneration for Abbot Mkhitar the main source of his inspiration and certainly one of the greatest figures in Armenian history and culture. The achievements of this course he said which has had up today 743 participants marking 976 presence are achievements of the Mkhitarian ideal a sign of its vitality today. The day’s academic section was concluded with the presentation of a new book entitled Hushamatian” (Memorial Book) edited by Ms. Salpy Kasbarian. The book was presented first as to its content by the editor herself whom followed Prof. Raffi Setian of the Course’s teaching staff with comments of an analytical approach of that content. The protagonists of the day’s artistic section were the pianist ANI MARTIROSYAN and the tenor Jean ANSERLIAN both from Milan who also dedicated their performance as a gift to the current celebration. They executed with high skill pieces of Komitas Kanatchian and a Neapoletan song. The final act of the day was by the well-known actress Nora Armani who masterly performed the play On the couch with Nora Armani” written by herself: a monologue touching topic questions regarding the destiny of a person in search for a home. The 20th Summer Intensive Course of Armenian Language and Culture will end on August 19. In ions for the next course will open by Mid-November 2005. SECRETARIAT OF THE PADUS-ARAXES CULTURAL ASSOCIATION