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10/16/2026

The Zoryan Institute is pleased to announce the publication of a new article on its Scholar’s Corner platform, “AI and Genocide in Gaza: Who Bears the Burden of Accountability?” by Branislav Radeljić, Professor of Political Science and AI Governance Consultant.

This article examines the growing role of artificial intelligence in warfare, with a special focus on the genocide in Gaza, and considers how AI-enabled systems are complicating traditional understandings of accountability.

Visit link in bio to read the full piece.

10/09/2026

The Zoryan Institute announces the release of a new Scholar’s Corner contribution, “The Children of Minab Deserve More Than Our Silence,” by Bree Akesson, Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Adversity and Wellbeing and Full Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University.

In this piece, Akesson examines the February 28, 2026, strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, which killed 120 children and 26 teachers. She explores the enduring trauma experienced by families and the broader community while questioning the lack of transparency and accountability surrounding the attack.

To read the full piece, visit the link in bio.

09/30/2026

Today marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honor the survivors of Canada’s residential school system and educate the public on the painful history, ongoing trauma, and cultural destruction this system caused. Unfortunately, despite the immense amount of research and scholarship produced, there is a growing body of denialists in Canada who attempt to minimize the harms done by the residential school system.

Visit link in bio to learn more about the new book, Truth Before Reconciliation: Confronting Residential School Denialism, featuring new scholarship from Zoryan Institute scholars, Prof. Andrew Woolford and Reid Gerbrandt.

09/25/2026

The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) re-publishes new commentary in Scholar’s Corner by Prof. Mathias Risse, Director of the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at the John F. Kennedy School of Harvard University, titled “Do I Drive Them into Hell with No Chance of Survival”: Trump’s Second Threat of Civilizational Annihilation, This Time as Policy."

In this blog post, Risse examines President Donald Trump’s September 22, 2026, remarks at the United Nations General Assembly concerning Iran.

To read the full piece, please visit link in bio.

**Re-published from the Harvard-KennedySchool with permission from the author

09/23/2026

The Zoryan Institute is pleased to announce that essay submissions are now open for its first annual Levonty Kazarian Award for Genocide Studies.

The contest is open to students currently enrolled in Grades 9-12. Students are invited to submit an essay on a topic of their choice relating to genocide and/or human rights, drawing parallels to contemporary examples and emerging themes in the field.

The winning student, selected by the editors, will receive the $1,000 CAD Levonty Kazarian Award for Genocide Studies to encourage continued education and engagement on genocide and human rights issues. The winning essay will also be published in an upcoming general issue of Genocide Studies International.

To learn more and submit a piece, please visit link in bio.

09/15/2026

The Zoryan Institute is thrilled to announce Megan Reid as our newly appointed Executive Director!

Megan first joined the Institute in 2015 as an Outreach Assistant and has spent 11 years growing into this role, most recently as Deputy Executive Director. She brings deep institutional knowledge to this role and we’re excited to count on her leadership to guide the Institute’s next chapter.

Please join us in congratulating Megan on this new role!

🔗 Read more at our link in bio.

09/11/2026

This latest Scholar's Corner blog post, written by Prof. Mireille Rebeiz, provides an analysis of the ongoing war between Lebanon and Israel and insights into the upcoming peace negotiations scheduled for next week in Rome.

To read this piece and to subscribe to the Zoryan Institute's blog, visit the link in bio.

09/04/2026

The Zoryan Institute and the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism are pleased to announce an upcoming panel titled, “Reimagining International Law for Humanity: A New Era of Accountability”, that will examine the future of international law in an increasingly challenging global environment.

The panel brings together renowned international human rights lawyers, Prof. William Schabas, Prof. Fannie Lafontaine, Prof. Ardi Imseis and Prof. Noah Weisbord who will consider pathways toward stronger accountability and renewed trust in international law.

The panel will be taking place on September 17, 2026, at McGill’s Maxwell Cohen Moot Court from 6:30-8:30 pm EST.

Visit https://zoryaninstitute.org/the-zoryan-institute-and-the-mcgill-centre-for-human-rights-and-legal-pluralism-to-host-panel-on-the-future-of-international-law-and-accountability/ to learn more.

08/11/2026

Last week, the Zoryan Institute’s 2026 Genocide and Human Rights University Program came to a close.

The course’s second week of programming featured several of the program’s core units, including The Holocaust, led by Prof. Barry Trachtenberg; Colonialism and Indigenous Peoples of North America, led by Prof. Lorena Fontaine; Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, led by Prof. Maureen Hiebert; Gender and Genocide, led by Prof. Jennie Burnet; and Genocide Prevention, led by Prof. Alex Alvarez.

This year’s program also saw the reintroduction of a previously taught unit on the Holodomor from the perspective of attrition, taught by Prof. Karolina Koziura. Additionally, the program introduced two new units: Sudan, taught by Prof. Nisrin Elamin, and Occupation and Genocide in Gaza, taught by Prof. Omer Bartov.

On the final day of the program, students applied the knowledge and insights gained over the preceding 9 days to present their final projects. These presentations explored a wide range of topics, from the ethics of witnessing mass atrocities to the production of collective perpetrator identity, reflecting both the cohort’s disciplinary diversity and the program’s own interdisciplinary approach to the study of genocide and human rights.

The Institute is incredibly grateful to all of the faculty, students, donors, and partners who contributed to another successful year of the GHRUP!

To learn more about the program and its work, please visit genocidestudies.org. If you are interested in supporting educational programming like this, please contact us at [email protected].

08/03/2026

The 2026 Genocide and Human Rights University Program, hosted by the Zoryan Institute at the University of Toronto, is underway! Now in its 24th year, GHRUP continues to bring together participants from around the world for an intensive, interdisciplinary and comparative exploration of human rights and genocide studies. These photos capture moments from the first half of the program, as students build both the academic foundation and the collaborative community that make GHRUP such a unique learning experience!

Through lectures and seminar discussions led by Course Director Prof. Alex Alvarez, Prof. Luis Van Isschot, Prof. Henry Theriault, Prof. Amy Sodaro, Prof. William Schabas, and Prof. Suren Manukyan, this year’s participants have explored the development of human rights, theories of genocide, the psychology of genocide, genocide denial, international law, and memory and memorialization before turning to the program’s first case study: the Armenian Genocide and its enduring legacy.

As the program moves into its second and final week, participants will build on the concepts and analytical frameworks developed during the first half of the course to continue engaging with historical and contemporary case studies of genocide. Stay tuned as the GHRUP welcomes Prof. Barry Trachtenberg for tomorrow’s session on the Holocaust.

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255 Duncan Mill Road
Toronto, ON
M3B3H9

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+14162509807

Website

http://www.zoryaninstitute.org/

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