Christian Orient

No enrolment

This programme examines eastern Christian cultures, with a focus on Syrian and Arabic Christianity. The classical Syriac language belongs to the Aramaic group of Semitic languages. For a long time, it was the international language of the whole of Middle-Eastern Christianity before being partly replaced by Arabic. Students get fundamental training in classical Syriac and Arabic languages, as well as in the literature and handwritten traditions of these languages. They also study contemporary Aramaic languages, which includes classes with native speakers.

The heritage of Syrian and Arabic Christianity includes thousands of artifacts that have global cultural importance, most of which still remain unstudied. Graduates of the Christian Orient programme will be able to demonstrate their talents in international research projects, publishing, expert work, teaching, journalism and IT.