Bucharest -- The 14th World Congress of Syriac [modern Assyrian] Studies, also called Symposium Syriacum, opened on Monday at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, bringing together more than 400 scholars and specialists from 33 countries and 176 universities to examine the history, language, theology, and cultural heritage of one of the world's oldest Christian traditions.

Held from 3 to 7 August, the international symposium is being hosted in Romania for the first time by the Levant Institute for Advanced Studies for the Culture of Peace, under the coordination of Dr. Catalin-?tefan Popa, Director-General of the institute and a researcher at the Romanian Academy's Institute for the History of Religions.

Held under the theme Peace and Dialogue -- Prerequisites for the Protection of Literary and Material Heritage, the congress underscores the urgent need to preserve Syriac literary treasures, ancient manuscripts, and religious traditions that have shaped the intellectual and spiritual history of the Middle East for nearly two millennia.

The opening ceremony brought together representatives of Romanian state institutions, academic bodies, and religious organizations, including officials from the Romanian Academy, the Romanian Patriarchate, the Presidency, the Government, the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies.

A central figure at the congress is Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III Royel who is scheduled to address participants on the significance of Syriac Christianity and the shared responsibility of preserving its theological and cultural legacy.

Headquartered in Ankawa, Arab'ilo (Erbil), Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the Assyrian Church of the East is among the world's oldest Christian Churches with a history deeply rooted in the Syriac language and tradition. Patriarch Mar Awa III, who holds a PhD in Theology from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, is widely recognized for his contributions to the study and advancement of Syriac theology and spirituality.

The congress features leading international scholars whose research has significantly expanded global understanding of Syriac civilization, including specialists from Yale University, the University of Hamburg, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Princeton University, the University of Edinburgh, Durham University, and the University of Oxford.

Among the invited speakers are Kevin van Bladel, Aaron Michael Butts, Françoise Briquel-Chatonnet, Valentina Duca, George Kiraz, Salam Rassi, Alberto Rigolio, Columba Stewart, Jack Tannous, and David G. K. Taylor, all internationally recognized for their contributions to the study of Syriac manuscripts, literature, theology, and the history of Christianity in the Middle East.

For Assyrian communities around the world, the gathering serves as a reaffirmation of a heritage that has endured centuries of political upheaval, persecution, displacement, and demographic change.

From ancient monasteries and manuscript collections to liturgical traditions and the continued use of the Assyrian language, the congress places renewed emphasis on safeguarding the cultural identity of Assyrian-speaking communities, particularly in their historic homeland of Mesopotamia.

As many Assyrian Christian communities continue to face challenges related to displacement and the loss of cultural and religious sites, scholars and religious leaders participating in the Bucharest symposium are emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in protecting both the tangible and intangible heritage of the Assyrian world.