Assyrian Language, History and Identity. Why it matters?

At our Second International Congress the scholars will address three main topics: Assyrian Language, History and Identity. The aim of this Congress is to continue working in the scientific field that the Assyrian people need most: Education in its linguistic, historical and identity process.

We continue working on the main fields related to the Assyrian legacy as a whole. This will allow us to research and discuss from an academic point of view, upon the main activities that the Nineveh Chair has launched during the First Edition of its main conference.

The Nineveh Chair has these three fields as the main pillars of its research initiative. Invited experts in the three mentioned fields are invited to discuss and present the topics highlighted in the Programme. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in lectures given on behalf of reknown experts in language and history as well as specialists in identity.

The venue for the congress is the University of Salamanca, where the Nineveh Academic Chair was officially founded in 2020 to promote the study of the Assyrian linguistic, historical and cultural legacy. Very soon you will be provided with detailed information upon the programme of the Congress.

Presentation

This second conference of the Nineveh Chair is a continuation of the first one we held in 2022. Experts in Assyrian language, history and culture will meet again to discuss the Assyrian legacy. During this second conference we will continue to delve into language and history, and as a novelty we will also discuss Assyrian identity. The identity panel aims to shed more light on this complex and contentious issue in the different Assyrian communities divided according to their religious affiliation. Information about the Assyrian people and their legacy was transmitted to the Western world very late and in a biased way. An update of the true legacy is sorely needed. We have invited world-class experts on Assyrian language, history and culture to give a true picture of Assyrian history, language and identity. With these initiatives we aim to inform 21st century society about the true historical, linguistic and identity reality of the Assyrian people.

The Assyrians, who from the Christian era onwards went through several phases and external powers, were not allowed to develop as an autonomous national unit. The ecclesiastical nomenclatures applied to the Assyrians are a faithful image of this reality. Their identity, language and history have been questioned, causing much confusion around these issues. With these academic initiatives, the Nineveh Chair aims to contribute to the clarification of these important issues for the Assyrian people.

The conference will take place over three days, 11, 12 and 13 September 2023, during which there will be keynote lectures and panel discussions on the above topics. When we founded the Chair of Nineveh at the University of Salamanca we proposed, among the research and teaching activities on the Assyrian legacy, an annual conference to present the results of the scientific research of working groups on Assyrian language, history and culture. Our intention is to study these three fields of knowledge from indoor and to transmit them to the society of the 21st century, for which it is essential to have experts in these fields.

Thus, this second conference is also an initiative that invites anyone who wants to learn first-hand about the Assyrian identity and the linguistic and historical richness. A review of these aspects is extremely important if we want to know the Assyrian people as a whole in depth.

Programme

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09:30-13:30 Registration | Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology
09:30-10:30 Inauguration of Nineveh Academic Chair Congress | Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Raúl Sánchez Prieto Vice-Chancellor of the University
Manuel González, Dean of the Faculty of Philology
Efrem Yildiz, President of Nineveh Academic Chair
Inaugural conference: Efrem Yildiz | Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
The Revival of the Modern Assyrian Language through Nineveh Chair and its Teaching activities and research projects.
10:30-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:30 Language Panel: Conference: Moderator: Efrem Yildiz | Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Geoffrey Khan, University of Cambridge. The Classification of the Modern Assyrian Neo-Aramaic dialects.
12:30-13:10 Conference| Moderator: Shabo Talay |Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Samir Khoshaba, Linnaeus University.Transmissions in different machines as an example of development of the Assyrian language in the field of mechanical engineering.
13:10-13:50 Conference| Moderator: Efrem Yildiz |Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Vega García González, University of Salamanca.The development of Late Eastern Aramaic Studies in Europe.
14:00-15:45 Spanish Wine Welcome Lunch
16:00-16:40 Conference| Moderator: Efrem Yildiz |Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Michael Abdalla, University of Poznan.Linguistic image of the body in the Tur Abdin dialect.
16:40-17:20 Conference| Moderator: Geoffrey Khan |Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Shabo Talay, Freie Universität Berlin.Turoyo/Surayt a Peripheral Dialect of NENA? Reflections on the Eastern Neo-Aramaic Dialect Continuum.
17:20-17:50 Conference| Moderator: Geoffrey Khan |Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Mikhael Benjamin, Nineveh Centre for Minority Rights, Duhok.Documentation of Assyrian dialects, Nahla dialect as a case study.
17:50-18:20 Conference| Moderator: Eve Georges Sada |Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Susan Khoshabah, University of Salamanca.Symbols of ancient Assyrians in Assyrian literature after Christianity.
18:20-19:45 City Walk.
20:00-21:30 Dinner.
09:30-12:30 Registration | Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
09:30-10:10 ASSYRIAN IDENTITY Panel| Conference | Moderator:
Efrem Yildiz. Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Aryo Makko, Stockholm University. Assyrian Youth Activism in the Western Diaspora: Roads to Salvation, Perdition or Nowhere?
10:10-10:50 Conference | Moderator: Efrem Yildiz.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Shana Zaya, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.Assyria, Identity, and Empire.
10:50-11:20 Coffee break.
11:20-12:00 Conference | Moderator: Aryo Makko.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Nicholas Al-Jeloo, Duhok UniversityUniversity.Exploring Psychological Reasons for the Rejection of Assyrian Identity.
12:00-12:40 Conference | Moderator: Nicholas Al-Jeloo.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Zeitoun Hadad, Midyat/Tur.Abdin. How do we enquire our identity, a work of the Assyrian identity.
12:40-13:20 Conference | Moderator: Efrem Yildiz.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Samira Sare, Bielefeld University.The Protection of Minority Identity as a Human Right, using the example of the Assyrians.
13:20-14:00 Conference | Moderator: Efrem Yildiz.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Members of Assyrian Art Institute. Nora Betyousef Lacey, Dalia Ashurina; Omar Bashir, Sargon Youkhana.
14:00-15:45 Lunch.
16:00-16:40 Conference | Moderator: Efrem Yildiz.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Robin Bet Shamuel, Former member of Salahadeen University.The Mother Tongue and Identity.
16:40-17:20 Conference | Moderator: Aryo Makko.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Abdul-Massih Saadi, Baylor University.The Syriac Literature in History and Self Identity.
17:20-18:00 Conference | Moderator: Efrem Yildiz.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Eve Georges Sada University of Harvard and Lolita Emmanuel, University of Sydney. Preserving and Documenting the Assyrian Musical Legacy: A Valuable Contribution to the Global Cultural Heritage.
18:00-18:30 Coffee break | Hospedería
18:30-20:30 Assyrian Art | Moderator: Efrem Yildiz.Amphitheatre Juan de Encina/University of Salamanca.
Assyrian Art Institute: Nora Betyousef Lacey, Dalia Ashurina Assyrian Music Concert.
20:30 Dinner
09:30-10:10 ASSYRIAN IDENTITY Panel| Conference | Moderator:
Efrem Yildiz. Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Etlal Al Kass Hanna, Alhamadanya University. Identity struggle and biblical prophecies: The Great Middle East and the Prophecy of the Egyptian-Assyrian-Israeli Alliance.
10:10-10:50 Conference | Moderator: Shabo Talay.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Abdulmesih Bar Abraham, Mor Afrem Foundation.Missionary Activities in the Vilyat of Diyarbakir: An Overview.
10:50-11:20 Coffee break
11:20-12:00 Conference | Moderator: Samir Khoshaba.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Rony Beth Yawalaha, PhD Freie Berlin University.The Literature of Durekyatha and their Starting. The Example of Mar Khnanisho of Rustaqa.
12:00-12:40 Conference | Moderator: Shabo Talay.Aula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Lawrence Nader, Zakho University.Panqitha Journal 1951-1953 a Study in Content.
12:40-13:20 Conference | Moderator: Eve Georges SadaAula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Kristina Beniaminova, Russian State University for the Humanities.Object markers in Modern Assyrian Aramaic dialect of Ṭal.
13:20-14:00 Conference | Moderator: Efrem YildizAula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Michel Shamoon-Pour, Binghamton University.Assyrian Identity in the Genomic Era: What Paleogenomics and Population Genetics Can and Cannot Tell Us.
14:00-15:30 Lunch.
16:00-16:40 Conference | Moderator: Efrem YildizAula Magna/Faculty of Philology.
Sargon Donabed, Roger Williams University.An Overview of Assyrian History Through a Lens of Assyrian Studies: Obstacles, Theories, and Narrative.
17:20-18:30 NAC General Assembly: Present and Future of NAC Projects and constitution of the Assyrian Academic Council. Closing of the International Congress.
20:30 NAC Gala Dinner.

Videos

Special Thanks with: Assyria TV

Gallery

Our Sponsors

Meet the sponsors of the 2nd Nineveh International Conference.