He made numerous media and conference appearances during his career and worked as a historian, writer, editor, and translator throughout his life, with a special focus on the history of Jerusalem.
During that time he was involved in student activism, including going on hunger strike in solidarity with political prisoners in Israeli jails.
During a difficult period for Palestinian education, especially in the 1980s, the university was subject to military-ordered closures and violent responses to student protests, and Aghazarian was "at the center of this whirlwind.
[5][12] During the Madrid Peace Conference, Aghazarian headed the Palestinian media center along with fellow Bir Zeit scholar Hanan Ashrawi.
He continued to appear internationally as a spokepersson for the Palestinian cause, including in forums organized by the United Nations, the World Council of Churches, and other global institutions.
[13] He believed in "the pluralism of the Levant" and an inclusive vision of Arabism that did not prevent an Armenian Christian like himself from participating "in an Arab-Islamic framework.
[9] When meeting with Israeli defense officials during years of repeated closures of Bir Zeit, he is recorded as having said:"You treat universities like shops, but education is an ongoing process.
"[9]In 2006, Aghazarian was awarded a medal by King Albert II of Belgium for his role in raising global awareness about Jerusalem.