2022 Dumbarton Oaks/HMML Syriac & Armenian Summer School, Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, July 11–August 5, 2022
Building on six summers of success, Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) in collaboration with Dumbarton Oaks announces an intensive four-week course introducing the Syriac language and intermediate Armenian for the summer of 2022. This course is intended for doctoral students or recent PhDs who can demonstrate a need for Syriac or Armenian in their research. Priority is given to students who lack opportunities to continue studying Syriac or Armenian at their own institutions. The program welcomes international applicants but does not sponsor J visas.
Approximately ten places will be available for each language. If on-site, costs for tuition, housing, and meals will be covered by Dumbarton Oaks.
Course Offerings
Sessions are held Monday–Friday in the morning and afternoon. Total instruction time equals 110 hours.
Prerequisites for the introductory Syriac and intermediate Armenian language classes differ, and some preparation will be required before arrival, as directed by the instructors.
By the end of the course, students will be fully equipped to continue reading on their own or to enter reading courses at other institutions.
Faculty
Syriac: Dr. Robert Kitchen, Regina, Saskatchewan; Fr. Armando Elkhoury, Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary, Washington, DC
Armenian: Dr. Jesse Siragan Arlen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Fordham University and Zohrab Information Center; and Professor Emeritus Dr. Abraham Terian, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, New York
HMML staff: Father Columba Stewart, OSB, Executive Director, HMML & Professor of Theology, Saint John’s University; Dr. David Calabro, Curator of Eastern Christian Manuscripts; Dr. Joshua Mugler, Curator of Islamic Manuscripts; and Dr. Matthew Z. Heintzelman, Curator of Western European Manuscripts & Special Collections.
Accommodation and Costs
Students will be housed in dormitory apartments on the Saint John’s University campus. Each participant will have an air-conditioned, private bedroom and bathroom, with shared kitchen and laundry facilities. A meal contract at the college Refectory will be provided. All expenses will be covered by Dumbarton Oaks, apart from travel to and from Saint John’s University.
All participants must submit proof of full vaccination status to participate in the course.
Requirements for Admission
Applicants must be either enrolled graduate students in good standing with a demonstrated need to learn Syriac or Armenian for their research, or recent PhDs, including early-career faculty members, who can demonstrate the value of Syriac or Armenian for their teaching and research. Priority will be given to those who lack opportunities to learn Syriac or Armenian at their own institutions.
COVID-19 Notice
Although Dumbarton Oaks hopes to offer on-site accommodation and instruction, due to the ongoing pandemic and the possibility of travel restrictions, the program may have to take a hybrid or virtual form. Successful applicants will be notified of any developments.