The Recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Belgium

Dr. Bernard Coulie reviews the progression of Belgian government’s official recognition of the Armenian Genocide, where senate debates that began in the early 1990s led to official recognition almost two decades later, in 2015. While official recognition is a long overdue and important step forward, Dr. Coulie argues that there are still significant strides to be made when it comes to criminalizing the denial of genocide or integrating a more comprehensive genocide studies program in public schools.

Originally published December 2018.

About the speaker

Bernard Coulie

Dr. Bernard Coulie is a professor of Byzantine studies, Armenian and Georgian studies, and European culture and identity at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, where he has also served as Rector of the University and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Coulie holds a PhD in classics and oriental studies and has completed post-doctoral studies at the Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies (Harvard University) and the University of Vienna.

Bernard Coulie