Kevin White
Dear Colleagues,
I'm writing to introduce the Department of Nestorian Studies and to invite you to the 6th International Conference on Syriac Christianity in China and Central Asia which will take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan from June 20 - 27, 2019.
This department was created in 2017 by the Kazakhstan Archeological Institute of the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences to investigate recent significant finds of Syriac Christianity, so termed Nestorian in the Russian-speaking academy.
This new department was created to facilitate the investigation of the role Syriac Christianity played in the territories of what is to today Kazakhstan and other Central Asian nations. This vision is expressed as well in the new program Course Ahead: Spiritual Renewal.
In discussions on economic development, particularly as it relates to the One Belt One Road project, Kazakhstan understands the significant role religions of the Silk Road played in trade and commerce. As Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev succinctly stated: “We need to look into the past in order to understand the present and foresee the future.”
Please find all information and forms on our events page.
We hope you will able to come and are indeed very excited to host this conference. We will do all we can to make your stay most enjoyable. As noted in the attachments, this conference will be unique in that it will feature artifacts and finds as well as a tour to Ilibalik where there have been significant Nestorian finds. We also welcome any participants who may wish to stay longer for further investigations.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. We heartily welcome your collaboration and are here to serve you and your research interests.
Sincerely,
Kevin White, PhD (c)
It is with much sadness that I wanted to notify you that Dr. Karl Baipakov has passed away. Please find the press release here.
6th Salzburg International Conference on Syriac Christianity
10 November 2018, 9:48 amGreetings Colleagues,
I hope this update finds you doing well. I’m writing to give an update to our department. We are pleased to have a very busy itinerary this summer. One of our Research Assistants is conducting archival research and finding very valuable research within Central Asian archives. Additionally we are pleased to be involved in two separate archeological investigations in Ilibalik, as well as Kayaliq. Both have turned up significant Nestorian finds.
Greetings Colleagues,
I hope this correspondence finds you well and preparing to enjoy a great summer!
We were privileged to host Dr. Mark Dickens in February. He gave two presentations on the topic Echoes of a Forgotten Past, which chronicled the development of the Church of the East in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. We organized a very well attended presentation to the public, as well as a second presentation at the Academy of Sciences. You may view this presentation on the link below, available in English, Russian, and Kazakh languages. Please feel free to pass these links to your friends and colleagues.
February News: Additions and a Visit
7 February 2018, 10:48 amGreetings from a wintery Kazakhstan!
We are very excited about the developments in the Department of Nestorian Studies. I thoroughly enjoyed my doctoral consultations and seminars at the University of Salzburg. This is an excellent university and is positioning itself to be a hub for Eastern Syriac and Church of the East center.
A Silk Road Legacy: Freedom of Trade & Freedom of Religion
12 June 2017, 9:28 amAs Kazakhstan seeks to become one of the top thirty economies in the world, in accordance with the 2050 Plan, this thesis discusses the historical role of Nestorian Christianity in Central Asian culture as well as how policies of religious freedom and tolerance facilitated the political stability required for the success of the Great Silk Road commerce.
The Department of Nestorian Studies of the Kazakhstan Archeological Institute of the Academy of Sciences wishes to extend a very Happy New Year to you and your family! We are excited about the wonderful possibilities of rediscovering, researching, and developing this largely lost history of Central Asia.