The Assyria Institute

27/09/2024

Dear colleagues and friends,

I have just uploaded to YouTube the video of my contribution at the international symposium regarding “A New Approach of Studies Related to Rabban Sauma and Mar Yahballaha III,” hosted by the Legacy Research Institute in collaboration with the Mongolian University of Science and Technology’s Humanities Department, as well as the Hungarian Embassy, at Springs Hotel in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

My paper is titled: “From the Mediterranean to the Yellow Sea: The Topography and Extent of the Church of the East at the time of Mār Yahballāhā and Rabbān Ṣawmā” and was part of Section 3 of the symposium on Thursday 26 September, chaired by Dr. Li Tang (University of Salzburg, Austria).

The conference discussed original research on all aspects furthering the study of Rabban Sauma or Mar Yabhallaha III of the Church of East. These included their role in the Mongol Empire’s diplomatic and political history, their relation with the Church of East, archaeological and written evidence related to their history, as well as travels, routes and historic churches.

Special thanks to Legacy Research Institute staff for taking this video, and the Assyrian Foundation of America for supporting my attendance of this academic meeting!

Legacy Research Institute, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia): Legacy International Symposium “A New Approach of Studies Related to Rabban Sauma and Mar Yahballaha III” ...

05/09/2024

Dear family and friends,

In a little over 6 hours, the First Athra Syriac Symposium will begin, with the opening ceremony kicking off at 10 am, Erbil time.

Overall, the Symposium will be a 3-day international academic conference on Syriac Studies, including all things Assyrian, Chaldean and Aramaic.

The theme of this First Symposium is: "Syriac as a Living Culture, Despite Challenges to its Survival."

Please feel free to stay updated through the official page of the main convenor, the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts: https://www.facebook.com/mardutha

Many of the sessions will be livestreamed or pre-recorded and uploaded later, so you will be able to follow and watch all the research papers that will be presented from wherever you are in the world.

My contribution on: "The Importance of Preserving Neo-Aramaic Dialects, will be during the 9:30-11 am session on Friday 6 September. Keep an eye out for that one! 😉

الصفحة الرسمية للمديرية العامة للثقافة والفنون السريانية في حكومة إقليم كوردستان ـ العراق

07/08/2024

Dear friends,

This evening I will be one of three speakers at an event organised by the Assyrian Cultural Centre (المركز الثقافي الآشوري-نوهدرا) in Duhok, Iraq, to commemorate Assyrian Martyrs' Day. The topic of my talk (in Assyrian) will be: "Effects of Genocide on the Assyrian Psyche."

Moreover, I am honoured to be speaking alongside Rabi Mikhael Benjamin from the Nineveh Centre for Minority Rights and Rabi Ivan Jani from the Assyrian Cultural Centre in Diyana (Soran). The panel will be moderated by my friend and fellow scholar Lawrence Nader.

The event begins at 6 pm Iraq time!

Those interested can watch the livestream on: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562382164158