APRIL 18, INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR MONUMENTS AND SITES
Protecting Middle Eastern heritage – the theme of the World Congress of Syriac Studies and the International Conference of Christian Arabic Studies, organized by the Levant Institute in partnership with the Romanian Academy and the Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodox Christianity, under the auspices of the Romanian Parliament
Peace should not be viewed merely as an alternative to war; it should not be defined as a value in itself, but as a tool for defending humanity’s most important value – life itself. A culture of peace can only be achieved through an extensive process of education that rejects violence not only in the resolution of disputes, but also as a means of achieving universally-accepted values such as freedom, truth, and justice.
Professor Emil Constantinescu,
President of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization
President of Romania 1996–2000
War means loss of human life, but also the irreversible destruction of cultural heritage. The Congress represents a remarkable opportunity to reinforce intercultural dialogue and intensify efforts dedicated to the preservation of Syriac and Christian Arab heritage, which deserve renewed attention in a period marked by division.
Dr. habil. Cătălin-Ștefan Popa,
President of the World Congress of Syriac Studies
General Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization
Peace and dialogue, prerequisites for safeguarding heritage
The conflict in the Middle East affects not only infrastructure and the civilian population, but also the cultural heritage of the countries in the region.
On this day, which UNESCO has dedicated to the conservation of heritage, in accordance with its role and mission, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization announces that, for the first time in Eastern Europe, between August 3-7, 2026, it will host the World Congress of Syriac Studies (14th edition) and the International Conference on Christian Arabic Studies (12th edition) in Bucharest, organizing them in partnership with the Romanian Academy and the Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodox Christianity. The main theme of the event, with 400 confirmed participants from 35 countries and 176 world-renowned universities, is Peace and Dialogue: Prerequisites for the Protection of Tangible and Intangible Heritage.
This prestigious academic event, also known as the Symposium Syriacum and held every four years since 1972, brings together leading specialists in the history, language, culture, theology, and the ecclesiastical life of the Syriac and Christian Arab communities. Previous editions were held in Rome (1972 and 2016), Chantilly (1976), Göttingen (1980), Groningen (1984), Louvain (1988), Cambridge (1992), Uppsala/Lund (1996), Sydney (2000), Beirut (2004), Granada (2008), Valletta (2012), Paris (2022), and Bucharest (2026). Since 1980 (Göttingen), the International Conference of Christian Arabic Studies has been held in parallel with the Symposium Syriacum.
The World Congress of Syriac Studies and the International Conference of Christian Arabic Studies contribute to promoting cultural diplomacy and representing Romania in the realm of cultural heritage, serving as a continuation of the Levant Initiative for Global Peace launched by President Emil Constantinescu.
The Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization, established to support this Romanian initiative, has contributed to shaping the concept of cultural diplomacy by way of a better understanding of the Other and the edification of a culture of peace through education.
Christianity under siege in the Middle East
The Syriac communities – who speak the Language of Jesus – as well as Christian Arab communities, have distinguished themselves in world history through their decisive role in the development of medicine and other sciences during the medieval period. The translation of philosophical and medical treatises from Greek into Syriac and Arabic represented one of the most profound and enduring bridges across civilizations. Through this process of translation, adaptation and dissemination, these ancient Christian communities preserved and perpetuated major intellectual traditions of Antiquity that would otherwise have been lost to time.
As part of the universal collective memory, the loss or degradation of the heritage of Syriac communities affects all of humanity. The relationship between Romanian culture and this region is not episodic; at key moments, Romania became a true custodian of Syriac and Christian Arab heritage, contributing to its preservation, protection, and transmission by way of diverse cultural and institutional frameworks.
The World Congress of Syriac Studies and the International Conference of Christian Arab Studies that are being held in Bucharest draw upon this Christian historical heritage, as well as on Romania’s role as a bridge between Europe and the Near and Middle East, contributing to the reaffirmation of the universal values of a culture of peace predicated on knowledge, memory, and shared responsibility toward the spiritual heritage of mankind.
Perhaps better than any other, the Syriac Christian community knows the reality that war brings with it the irreversible destruction of cultural heritage. It has borne witness to major traumas ever since the late Middle Ages, which ramped up during the bloody conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries. Today, these conflicts continue to threaten these communities and their heritage, which includes some of the earliest Christian monasteries and churches, as well as some of the oldest and most valuable manuscripts of the Eastern Christian tradition.
In this context, the voices of these communities must be heard, and peace must move from being an illusory to a concrete goal. Fostering a culture of peace means safeguarding a heritage that belongs not only to the Middle East, but to all of humanity.
World-renowned experts in Bucharest
Among the participating academic institutions are the universities of Princeton; Harvard; Yale; Chicago; Dallas; Washington, D.C.; Pennsylvania; Oxford; Cambridge; London; Durham; Leicester; Paris-Sorbonne; Lille; Angers; Lyon; Montpellier; Strasbourg; Bern; Lausanne; Fribourg; Amsterdam; Utrecht; Nijmegen; Leuven; Ghent; Göttingen; Frankfurt; Münster; Kiel; Bonn; Leipzig; Hamburg; Jena; Heidelberg; Marburg; Tübingen; Munich; Berlin; Vienna; Salzburg; Graz; Budapest; Belgrade; Kraków; Łódź; Opole; Madrid; Barcelona; Salamanca; Rome; Milan; Venice; Florence; Padua; Pisa; Naples; Oslo; Uppsala; Kuopio; Moscow; Saint Petersburg; Tbilisi; Yerevan; Hacettepe; Jerusalem; Tel Aviv; Beirut; Damascus; Kochi; Kaslik; Mardin; Duhok; Baghdad; Alexandria; Cairo; Doha; Balamand; Kottayam; and Tokyo, as well as the Academies of Science in Vienna, Paris, and Berlin.
Among the world-renowned scholars who have confirmed their attendance as keynote speakers at the 14th World Congress of Syriac Studies, we mention Françoise Briquel-Chattonet (French Academy of Fine Letters and Inscriptions, Paris, France); Jack Tannous and George Kiraz (Princeton University and Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA); David G. K. Taylor (University of Oxford, United Kingdom); Columba Andrew Stewart (Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, St. John’s University, Collegeville, USA); Kevin van Bladel (University of Southern California, USA); Alberto Rigolio (University of Durham, United Kingdom); Salam Rassi (University of Edinburgh); and Aaron Michael Butts (University of Hamburg).
The Honorary Committee of the World Congress of Syriac Studies and the International Conference of Christian Arabic Studies is comprised of Sebastian Brock (University of Oxford); Erica Hunter (University of Cambridge); Susan Ashbrook Harvey (Brown University); Robert Kitchen (Hill Museum and Manuscripts Library, St. John’s University, Collegeville, USA); Philip Forness (Catholic University of Leuven); Pablo Argárate (University of Graz) and Ephrem Aboud Ishac (Austrian Academy of Science, Vienna).
