Who & Why
Arlette Zakarian combines international legal expertise and cultural translation competence – for a deeper understanding of law and justice.
STATIONS & PERSPECTIVES
From Tehran to Vienna, Heidelberg, Paris, Boston, Geneva, and Strasbourg – Arlette Zakarian’s path has taken her through various languages, legal systems, cultures, and living environments. She has taught, negotiated, mediated, and represented – before courts, in international organizations, in companies, and vis-à-vis states.
Her career ranges from litigation practice for international banks to teaching at Sciences Po in Paris and the Graduate Institute in Geneva. As an expert in international law and anti-corruption policy, she has worked for the OECD, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and international corporations, among others.
But through it all, one thing remains the same: her goal is to use law as a means of understanding – not just as a boundary, but as a bridge. Because justice goes beyond laws – it is a language that everyone understands.
THE EDWARD ZAKARIAN PRIZE
A prize for research that makes cultural complexity visible and understands understanding as a scientific responsibility.
The Edward Zakarian Prize is awarded every three years to outstanding dissertations dealing with Armenology or Iranian Studies – from the fields of humanities and cultural studies, political science, law, or sociology. Endowed by Arlette Zakarian in honor of her father, it recognizes works that reflect on coexistence in a plural world.
