The Program in International and Comparative Studies (PICS) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Melanie Tanielian as its new director. As an associate professor in the History Department at the University of Michigan, she has been associated with PICS since 2012 and has previously served as the Director of the Center for Armenian Studies. Professor Tanielian's research expertise lies in the areas of humanitarianism, war, human rights, and genocide, with a specific focus on the Middle East and World War I. With her broad-ranging academic vision, administrative experience, and deep knowledge of the field of international and comparative studies, Professor Tanielian is well-equipped to steer PICS towards new heights of academic excellence and strategic growth.
Melanie Tanielian is originally from Germany, moving to the U.S. to complete her undergraduate degree, Master’s degree, and PhD in History at UC Berkeley. “I became interested in the Middle East through language,” Tanielian described, having studied Arabic as a student. “I eventually pursued a PhD in history because as a discipline I thought it would be the most flexible space to be creative.” The discipline of history at its best , much like international studies, is open to interdisciplinarity and may draw upon politics, art, anthropology, archeology, biology and more. At the core of her academic journey, however, Professor Tanielian described “a desire to never stop learning” which inspired her passion for teaching.
Professor Tanielian has been teaching International Studies 301: History and Practice of Human Rights for nearly as long as she has been with the Program in International and Comparative Studies. The course explores the origins of human rights, including the impact of both world wars on international humanitarian laws, the genocides and mass atrocities in the 20th century, the formation of the United Nations, and more. History and Practice of Human Rights focuses not only on the history of human rights, but also draws attention to the practice of international human rights today. This allows students to delve into contemporary topics that circumscribe their present and empowers them to take ownership in shaping their future.
Professor Tanielian's most recent publication, The Charity of War: Famine, Humanitarian Aid, and World War I in the Middle East (2018) explores the impact of World War I on the Ottoman Empire, and how the government responded to subsequent famine during this period.
Professor Tanielian is coming back from sabbatical after working on several projects, including a new book, Commodifying Kindness: German Humanitarian Fantasies, Utopias, and Practices in the Eastern Mediterranean (1896-1933). Building off her earlier publication, The Charity of War, this project will explore the development of humanitarianism in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Ottoman Empire, with a particular emphasis on the practices of humanitarian aid within a global marketplace of “kindness.” One example of this is early child sponsorship programs implemented by German missionaries, specifically those involving Armenian refugees in the aftermath of violence at the end of the 19th century.
To learn more about Melanie S. Tanielian’s work, visit her website.
