The 14th World Congress of Syriac Studies &
The 12th Conference on Christian Arabic Studies
Event Overview
The 14th World Congress of Syriac Studies (Symposium Syriacum) and the 12th International Conference on Christian Arab Studies will be organised and hosted by a distinguished coalition of Romania's leading political, religious, and academic institutions. The Levant Institute for Advanced Studies (Institute for Advanced Studies in Levantine Culture and Civilization) serves as the primary host organiser under the leadership and coordination of its Director General Prof. Dr. Catalin-Stefan Popa.. The events are held under the direct aegis of the Romanian Parliament and the Romanian Academy, with the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy serving as co-host in partnership with the Institute for the History of Religions, a branch of the Romanian Academy.
The Academy for Cultural Diplomacy (ACD), the educational-research arm of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD), will support and participate in the congresses as part of its ongoing commitment to promoting intercultural dialogue, the preservation of cultural heritage, and the role of culture, history, and academic exchange in fostering international understanding. Through its participation, the ACD will contribute its expertise in cultural diplomacy and its global network of scholars, diplomats, and cultural leaders to further strengthen dialogue between academic institutions, religious communities, and international partners.
Taking place in Bucharest, Romania, from 3–7 August 2026, the congresses mark the first time that these internationally renowned academic gatherings will be hosted in South-Eastern Europe. The events will bring together a global academic community, with participants representing approximately 90 universities and research institutions from around the world, including more than 400 professors, researchers, and specialists in Syriac studies, Christian Arab studies, theology, history, linguistics, cultural heritage, and related fields. Held under the theme "Peace and Dialogue – Prerequisites for the Protection of Literary and Material Heritage," the congresses will provide a major international platform for examining the history, languages, literature, theology, and cultural legacy of the Syriac and Arab Christian traditions. The programme will explore subjects including manuscript preservation, biblical exegesis, philosophy, canon law, medicine, interreligious dialogue, and the transmission of knowledge across cultures, while fostering collaboration between Western academic institutions, Orthodox schools of thought, and Christian communities of the Middle East.
Taking place at a time when conflict and instability continue to threaten irreplaceable cultural and religious heritage, the congresses will provide an important international platform to advance intercultural dialogue and strengthen global efforts to safeguard one of the world's oldest Christian intellectual traditions. Special attention will be given to the historic role of Syriac and Arab Christian communities in preserving and transmitting classical knowledge, including Greek philosophy, medicine, and the sciences, through centuries of translation and scholarship. Hosted in Romania, a country with a rich Byzantine cultural legacy and longstanding historical links between East and West, the 2026 edition will reaffirm the importance of academic cooperation in protecting cultural heritage, promoting mutual understanding, and preserving the literary and spiritual traditions that have made a lasting contribution to world civilisation.
