Armenian Club invited former Prime Minister and President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian to speak to students about his life and ideas in Ahmanson Lecture Hall on May 27. The talk centered around his recent book, “The Small States Club: How Small Smart Powers Can Save the World,” which argues for a global network of smaller nations working together to address the world’s most pressing challenges.
Sarkissian outlined how small states, often overlooked in traditional power structures, can be incubators of innovation and diplomacy. He also shared some stories of his private interactions and relationships with the consequential global leaders of the past and present.
Sarkissian said the flexibility and innovativeness of small states is due to their adaptation to participating on the global stage following their newfound independence near the end of the twentieth century.
“For four years, especially, even 35-40 years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the small states worldwide were divided,” Sarkissian said. “They were living under umbrellas, one under the umbrella of the West and the United States, the others under the umbrella of the Soviet Union. You are a small state somewhere in Europe, in Africa, in Asia, you have to be either capitalistic or communist. That’s gone. The Cold War was over. Everybody was independent, free, and it started the change of the world.”
Sarkissian said that the power and global involvement of smaller states are often underestimated compared to larger nations.
“The top 10 countries are small states, not the big ones, not America,” Sarkissian said. “People live per capita better in Luxembourg, in Norway, in Sweden, in Singapore, in Qatar and so on and so forth. They are all small states that are having a huge impact on world politics.”
Armenian Club President Andrew Esrailian ’26 said hearing from Sarkissian was a rare opportunity that allowed students to gain insight into his ideas for the future.
“It was a truly unique experience for all of us,” Esrailian said. “As students at HW, we were incredibly fortunate to have been able to speak and have an open dialogue with an accomplished academic and former foreign head of state. He highlighted the potential for small states, and even individuals, to make a difference in the world, and he used many practical illustrations.”
Esrailian also said the Armenian Club intends to bring new speakers to Harvard-Westlake this year.
“The contributions the Armenian people have made to society are invaluable, and we are working on bringing more examples to our campus this school year,” Esrailian said.
