Hayk Kotanjian

Hayk S. Kotanjian (Armenian: Հայկ Սարգսի Քոթանջյան, born in 1945 in Gyumri, Armenia) is an Armenian military diplomat, academic and political adviser. Since 2005, he has headed the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) in Yerevan. Since 2016 he is the Head of the Armenia's National Defense Research University[1]. He also chairs the Political Science Association of Armenia, and the Board of Conferment of Academic Degrees in Political Science and International Relations of the National Academy of Sciences.[2]

In XIX Century his ancestors came to Kars and then to Aleksandrapol from Mountain regions of the Western Armenia: Erzurum (Hasankala, Upper Basen) and Sasun (Kaghkik – Castle of David).

Hayk Kotanjian
Armenian Minister of Defense Serzh Sargsyan (right) meets with Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (foreground) to discuss security related issues of mutual interest to both nations in the Pentagon on Oct. 28, 2005. Military Advisor to the Minister of Defense Gen-Maj Hayk Kotanjian (left-center), and Ambassador Tatoul Markarian (center) joined Sargsyan and Rumsfeld for the talks.

Activities

Hayk Kotanjian is the founder of the school of strategic security studies in Armenia, Doctor of political science focused on civilizational research in the context of national security (Russian Presidential Academy of Public Administration, Moscow 1992) and Professor of Political Science (Armenian National Polytechnic University 1995 - Supreme Qualification Commission of Armenia - 2015), Research Fellow on counterterrorism (US National Defense Research University, Washington DC, 2004), member of the CSTO Academic – Expert Council.

Kotanjian has been serving in Armenian Armed Forces since 1992 and was conscript in Soviet Union Navy. He holds the military rank of Lieutenant General[3] of Armenian Armed Forces and diplomatic rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. His academic qualifications include doctoral degree in Political Science & Security Studies from Russia's Academy of Public Administration (1992), PhD in Managerial Psychology from the Academy of Social Sciences (Moscow, 1981), and BA/MSc in Engineering Cybernetics from the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, Armenia, as well as Diploma in Counter-terrorism from the US National Defense University (2004).[4][5][6]

Hayk Kotanjian's Great-Grandfather Sotnik Melkon and Grandfather Ararat Avoyan-the officers of the Russian Imperial Army, Cross of Saint George Cavaliers

After the death of the USSR Communist Party Secretary – General L. Brezhnev, H. Kotanjian in a capacity of Envoy-Counselor of the USSR Communist Party Central Committee served as a Coordinator of the Permanent Interagency Commission on Political Reassessment of Soviet Policy in Afghanistan and participated in the elaboration of some sensitive aspects of the new policy including the methodology of inclining of mujahedeen organizations towards the cooperation with the authorities. He, the 37 years old PhD in Philosophy commissioned to the war from the position of the Deputy head of the Armenian Communist Party Central Committee Science division, was tasked the coordination of the establishment of the first Afghan National Academy of Sciences (the academic supervisor of the program was the President of the Soviet Tajikistan National Academy of Sciences Academician M. Asimov)[2][5].

H. Kotanjian is the Founding Chair of the 056 Specialized Committee conferring PhD and Doctoral degrees on Political Science and International Relations at the INSS, MOD, RA.

For the first time in Armenian Armed forces he has established:

  • Founding Head, Division of Military Policy, MOD, RA which later was transformed into the Department of international relations and military cooperation (1996)[7][8],
  • The first strategic caliber research of the Armenian MOD “The Basics of the Military Policy of the Republic of Armenia: the Military-Political Aspect of the National Security” (1992)[9][10],
  • Founder and Editor-in-Chief, “Haikakan Banak” (“Armenian Army”) defense-academic journal, (1994),
  • The Military diplomacy system of Armenian Armed Forces with organization of network of military Attachés (1995—1998), set up and led the first RA Defense Office in the US, was accredited as the RA Military Attaché on Defense, Army, Naval and Air Forces Intelligence departments of the US (1998—2002)[11],
  • The Institute for National Strategic Studies, MOD Armenia, based on the project elaborated by him during his on-the-job fellowship at the US NDU Institute for National Strategic Studies (2003 – 2006, Washington - Yerevan)[12],
  • Journal of Strategic Studies “Working Notebooks” INSS, MOD, Armenia (2007),
  • The first Postgraduate school in the Armed Forces (2009)[13],
  • Founding Chairman, Political Science Association of Armenia (2011)[14].
  • Since 2016 he is the Head of the Armenia's National Defense Research University, MOD, RA[15].

Dr. General Kotanjian was the academic supervisor of the interagency elaboration of the first strategic caliber document of national scope “National Security Strategy”, based on his monograph “The Basics of the elaboration of the Armenian National Security Strategy in the context of the architecture of the regional security in the South Caucasus” which was elaborated by Kotanjian in the US National Defense University (2004-2005, Washington - Yerevan). This was followed by the comparative analysis of the security thinking of Russia and the US, which was done through cooperation with the Chair of national security, Russian Academy of State Service to the Russian President and the US NDU Institute for National Strategic Studies[16].

Education

In 1971 being a Lenin Scholarship holder, H. Kotanjian graduated summa cum laude from the Technical Cybernetics Department, Yerevan Polytechnic Institute. He wrote his master’s graduate thesis on “Considering the engineering and psychological factors in designing airborne radio-infrared systems” in the Departments of Engineering Psychology, Leningrad State University, and Automated Systems and Reliability, Leningrad Dzerzhinsky Higher Naval Engineering School.

H. Kotanjian is a graduate of the postgraduate school at the Social Psychology Department, Academy of Social Sciences, USSR Communist Party Central Committee (Moscow). He defended PhD in Social Psychology of Leadership and Management focused on American theories of Participative Management and Managerial Psychology. (Moscow, 1981).

In 1992 H. Kotanjian defended a Doctoral Degree in Political Science from the Academy of Public Administration to the President of Russian Federation (Moscow).

In 1996 he was elected (by secret ballot) a Full Member of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Russian Federation (Department of National Security and Geopolitics).

In 1998 he graduated from the Flag Officers Program, George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies, Germany.

In 2001, H.Kotanjian graduated from the Defense Strategic Analysis for the 21th Century Program, RAND Graduate School, US.

In 2003-2004 held an academic fellowship in the US National Defense University.

In 2008, he was nominated as a Distinguished Graduate of the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies[17].

In 2010 he was a Visiting Scholar at the National Security Program of the J. F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and the Academic Consultant at the Reset (Перезагрузка) oriented first US-Russia Strategic Dialogue Program. In 2011, he was a Distinguished Visiting Faculty Member at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, US NDU.

In 2015 he completed the Harvard “Cybersecurity: The Intersection of Policy and Technology” Program.

H. Kotanjian is the author of 10 monographs in Russian, English and German. He has state awards of the Soviet Union, Republic of Armenia, Afghanistan and the US (Legion of Merit). He was awarded with personal weapon.

In recognition of Kotanjian's contribution to Armenia-US and Armenia-NATO defense cooperation, he received the Legion of Merit award from the US Government. In 2008, he was nominated as Distinguished Graduate of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.[17] He is a founding member of the Marshall Center Alumni Association in Armenia. Kotanjian is a member of the Board of Academic Experts of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.[18]

Role in "Perestroika"

In 1971-1978 H. Kotanjian was the First Secretary of Leninakan City Committee of Leninist Young Communist League of Armenia; Executive Organizer for Kazakhstan of the Central Committee (Moscow), First Secretary of the Central Committee, Leninist Young Communist League of Armenia. In 1981 – 1985 he was Deputy Head of the Department of Science and Educational Institutions, Central Committee of Communist Party, Armenia and coordinated the National Academy of Sciences and Universities. After graduation from the special post graduate school of the Academy of Social Sciences, USSR Communist Party, he was included into the political reserve of the USSR Communist Party Central Committee leadership.

He was the Head of the State Committee for Vocational Technical Education (Minister, Government Member). Through the support of Soviet Armenia Government and the Soviet Union State Committee for Vocational Technical Education, he elaborated the special program of systemic modernization of Armenian Vocational Technical Education with involvement of modern technical – technological resources of the USSR ministries of defense industry system represented in the Soviet Armenia economy.

In 1986 Kotanjian was appointed as a Head of Hrazdan regional committee of Communist Party[19]. The Hrazdan region was one of the power houses of USSR Defense Industry. In July and December 1987, as a member of Armenian Communist Party Central Committee, during Central Committee plenary sessions he publicly accused the leaders of Armenian Communist party of cronyism and corruption, and of sabotaging the policy of reforms aimed at modernization of society, also known as “Perestroika”. Kotanjian’s views on reforms were supported by USSR liberal-democratic circles and reformist faction of the USSR Communist party[20][21][22].

… at the July 1987 plenum of the Central Committee of the Armenian party, the party organization was criticized for corruption and favoritism. The first secretary of the party district committee, Hayk Kotanjian, spoke of the growth of "a shadow economy," of falsification of reports, of bribery …[23]

Sumgait Massacres

In 1988 based on his orders Hrazdan region law enforcement bodies launched clandestine activities to register the testimonies of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijani city Sumgait. These testimonies are proofs of Genocidal actions implemented against Armenian population of Sumgait. Today those “White notes” are located in the archives of Armenia’s General Prosecutor office and are the only professionally systemized evidences on Sumgait massacres. In 1989 on Kotanjian’s initiative, as a result of negotiations with Azerbaijani relevant authorities, an unprecedented swap of 3000 Azerbaijanis living in Hrazdan region with Armenians from Baku was implemented. The financial and property interests of all people involved in the program were guaranteed[24][25].

In 1989-1990, as an inspector of the Armenia’s Communist party first secretary, he elaborated official policy papers on Karabakh conflict for the leadership of the Central Committee of the Armenian Communist Party.

Spitak Earthquake

Hayk Kotanjian, as a member of the national headquarters dealing with evacuation of population from earthquake zone, coordinated the program of redeployment of 30.000 people from earthquake zone, mainly women and children, to the different resorts of Soviet Union with full provision of food, medicine and education process.

Government in exile of the Nagorno Karabakh

During April – December 1991 Hayk Kotanjian was Minister of foreign affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Government in Exile in Moscow with Marius Yuzbashyan (Minister of National Security) and Yuri Barseghov (Minister of Justice). The government was working during the period of the Soviet sanctions against Armenia as a result of latter rejection to participate in the March 1991 referendum on the Soviet Union based the new Federative Union treaty organized by Mikhail Gorbachov.

The government in exile supported the authorities of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh to make sober assessments of threats eliminating from the collapse of the USSR. The utmost significance for both Armenia and Karabakh was the assessment on perspectives of the coup d’état, organized in Moscow in August 1991. The consultations delivered by the government in exile were instrumental in the process of elaboration of key decisions on the proclamation of Nagorno Karabakh Republic on September 2, 1991, organizing the September 21, 1991 independence Referendum in Armenia and December 10, 1991 Independence Referendum in Nagorno Karabakh. The formation of government in exile by USSR MP Zory Balayan and the acting Armenian Interior Minister Ashot Manucharyan was an extraordinary step, implemented in the extreme unfavorable conditions for the establishment of Armenia and Artsakh sovereignty.

References

  1. ↑ Hayk Kotanjian. Head of the National Defense Research University, MOD, RA
  2. 1 2 Тер-Григорьянц Н. «Слово об авторе», Г. Котанджян «Политологические проблемы безопасности: Перестройка СССР - Карабах, Армения, Закавказье – Афганистан». Ер., ИНСИ МО РА, 2009. С. 282-285
  3. ↑ Decrees of the President of RA
  4. ↑ Оганесян Н. Article: "Особая школа: Основоположник армянской военной политологии и политологии национальной безопасности." «Голос Армении» newspaper. 7-31-2010
  5. 1 2 Армянский биографический словарь "Кто есть кто". Volume 2. pp. 663-664
  6. ↑ Board of the Political Science Association of Armenia
  7. ↑ Hayk Kotanjian, «Managing Strategic Changes Through DEEP Reforms: A View from the Perspective of U.S.-Armenia „Smart Power“ Cooperation». Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes. «Connections», The Quarterly Journal, 2012, pp. 83-91.
  8. ↑ Annie Jafalian. Reassessing Security in the South Caucasus: Regional Conflicts and Transformation. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., Nov 11, 2011. p. XIII
  9. ↑ «ОСНОВЫ ВОЕННОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ РЕСПУБЛИКИ АРМЕНИЯ: ЦИВИЛИЗАЦИОННЫЙ АСПЕКТ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ». ОТДЕЛ ВОЕННОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ МО РА, ГАЙК КОТАНДЖЯН, ЕРЕВАН, 1992, 90 СТР. /«PRINCIPLES OF DEFENSE POLICY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA: MLITARY-POLITICAL ASPECT OF NATIONAL SECURITY». MLITARY POLICY DEPARTMENT, BY HAYK KOTANJIAN, In Russian, Yerevan, 1992, 90 p.
  10. ↑ Основоположник армянской военной политологии и политологии национальной безопасности
  11. ↑ Hayk Kotanjian, «Managing Strategic Changes Through DEEP Reforms: A View from the Perspective of U.S.-Armenia „Smart Power“ Cooperation». Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes. «Connections», The Quarterly Journal, 2012, pp. 83-91.
  12. ↑ Hayk Kotanjian, «Managing Strategic Changes Through DEEP Reforms: A View from the Perspective of U.S.-Armenia „Smart Power“ Cooperation». Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes. «Connections», The Quarterly Journal, 2012, pp. 83-91.
  13. ↑ Оганесян Н., статья: «Особая школа: Основоположник армянской военной политологии и политологии национальной безопасности.» «Голос Армении» newspaper. 7-31-2010.
  14. ↑ Board of the Political Science Association of Armenia
  15. ↑ Hayk Kotanjian. Head of the National Defense Research University, MOD, RA
  16. ↑ «BLUEPRINT OF ARMENIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY (APPLIED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT)», in «GUIDELINES ON DEVELOPING ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY IN THE CONTEXT OF REGIONAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE». INSS, MOD, Armenia, Yerevan, 2008, pp. 481—513, 604 P.
  17. 1 2 Dr. MG Hayk Kotanjian of Armenia named Marshal Center graduate|JUNE 13, 2008|«A1+» TV
  18. ↑ International Center for Electoral Systems
  19. ↑ Razmik Panossian. The Armenians: From Kings and Priests to Merchants and Commissars. Columbia University Press; First Edition (May 27, 2006), p. 378
  20. ↑ Article: "Non-Entities And Personalities." By Dmitry Kazutin, Moscow News (newspaper). # 6, 1988
  21. ↑ "Gha-Ra-Bagh": The Emergence of the National Democratic Movement in Armenia. Wayne State University Press; First edition (September 1996), p. 88
  22. ↑ 100 Most Influential People of All Times (Mobi History). Reference 1986
  23. ↑ Ronald G. Suny. "LOOKING TOWARD ARARAT: ARMENIA IN MODERN HISTORY". Indiana University Press (May 22, 1993), p. 197
  24. ↑ Հ. Ս. Քոթանջյան, Հայկական «Երկրաշարժը» (կոնֆլիկտաբանական ուրվագծեր): Ե., 1992
  25. ↑ Karen Dawisha, Bruce Parrott. Conflict, Cleavage, and Change in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Cambridge University Press, 1997, p. 90

Select publications

Kotanjian is the author of several monographs and numerous articles on crisis management, ethnic conflict, security, defense and strategic studies, and cyberpsychology.

°«Ethnic Politics of Conflict. Landmarks of Defense Policy and National Security of Armenia». INSS, MOD, Armenia, Yerevan, 2010, 762 P.

°«Political Problems Of Security: Perestroika In The Ussr — Karabakh, Armenia, South Caucasus — Afghanistan». INSS, MOD, Armenia, Yerevan, 2009, 656 p.

°«Blueprint Of Armenia's National Security Strategy (Applied Research And Development)», in «Guidelines On Developing Armenian National Security Strategy In The Context Of Regional Security Architecture». INSS, MOD, Armenia, Yerevan, 2008, pp. 481–513, 604 p.

°«Guidelines On Developing Armenian National Security Strategy In The Context Of Regional Security Architecture». SNSEE-INSS-NSOOC, NDU, Washington-Yerevan, 2004—2005.

°H.S. Kotanjian. «Politologische Probleme Der Identifizierung Und Regulung Des Bewaffneten Konflikts In Karabach: Der Einige Politisch-Rechtliche Aspekte Des Berg-Karabach Problems» (in German, Frankfurt am Main. 1999).

°Грани согласия – конфликта. Цивилизационные проблемы теоретической и прикладной политологии. М., "Луч", 1992 °Введение в этнополитологию консенсуса – конфликта. М., "Луч", 1992 °Этнопoлитология консенсуса – конфликта. Цивилизационный аспект национальной безопасности. М., "Луч", 1992 °Основы военной политики Республики Армения (военно-политический аспект национальной безопасности). Ер., 1992 °Основные направления разработки Стратегии национальной безопасности Армении в контексте архитектуры региональной безопасности. Ер., ИНСИ МО РА, 2008 °Политологические проблемы безопасности: перестройка СССР – Карабах, Армения, Закавказье – Афганистан. Ер., ИНСИ МОРА, 2009 °Этнополитология конфликта. Основы военной политики и национальной безопасности Армении. Ер., ИНСИ МО РА, 2010 °Հայկական Երկրաշարժ. Հայաստան, 1992

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