University of Mosul announces Assyrian language department

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Iraq has officially approved the establishment of an Assyrian Language Department at the University of Mosul. The announcement, issued on July 26, 2025, affirms the inclusion of Assyrian into the university’s academic offerings starting this academic year.

The move comes less than a year after the university hosted a seminar titled “Assyrian Language and Its Role in Achieving Sustainable Development” in November 2024. That event drew scholars, students, and faculty into discussions on the Assyrian language’s role in preserving heritage, advancing education, and supporting broader human rights goals.

Meanwhile, the number of remaining Assyrians in Mosul is almost down to zero more than a decade after ISIS took over the city and gave its Assyrian inhabitants the choice to either convert to Islam or leave.

Earlier this month, Nohadra (Dohuk) University also announced the launch of an Assyrian Language Department, in collaboration with Spain’s University of Salamanca, offering a joint degree program in the Eastern Assyrian dialect.