Assyriology (Languages, History, and Culture of the Ancient Near East)
58.03.01 In english and russian
Level of education Bachelor
Type of instruction Full-time
Duration 4 years
The bachelor’s programme "Assyriology (Languages, History, and Culture of the Ancient Near East)" is aimed at developing in students: professional skills of working with ancient written and visual monuments found in the territory of the contemporary states of the Near and Middle East (Iraq, Syria, Türkiye, Armenia, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Egypt); and a holistic view of social, economic, political, ethnic, cultural and migration processes in the Near East from the 7th to the 1st millennium B.C. Students also study in depth the ancient writing system (Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform) and the ancient Oriental languages and literatures of the peoples of the ancient Near East.
The bachelor’s programme "Assyriology (Languages, History, and Culture of the Ancient Near East)" is aimed at applicants who want to build a successful career in various departments of Russian and international cultural, research and academic institutions. Graduates of the programme can work as: researchers and publishers of Akkadian and Sumerian cuneiform monuments and works of art; teachers of languages, history and art of the Ancient East; experts in museum affairs (custodians of collections, curators of permanent and temporary exhibitions, authors of catalogues); experts in working with written and art antiquities kept in museum and private collections; and participants in international projects in the field of applying digital technology to ancient oriental texts and artefacts (Digital Humanities: Digital Approaches to the Ancient World).
- History of Asian and African Countries (Ancient Far East)
- History of Asian and African Countries (Ancient Middle East)
- German for Asian and African Studies
- Akkadian
- Introduction to Asian and African Studies
- Introduction to Assyriology
- Ethnography and Culture of Ancient Mesopotamia
- History of Ancient Mesopotamia
- Ancient Greek
- History of Ancient Mesopotamia: Historiography and Sources
- German / French / English for Asian and African Studies
- English
- Major Issues in the History of Western Civilisation (Ancient and Medieval Periods)
- Major Issues in the History of Western Civilisation (Modern and Contemporary Periods)
- Geography of Ancient Mesopotamia
- Ideological History of Ancient Mesopotamia
Among the advantages of studying in the bachelor's programme "Assyriology (Languages, History, and Culture of the Ancient Near East)" are:
- experienced faculty with many years of experience in research and teaching activities in the field of languages, literature, social and economic history, political history, archaeology, culture and religion of ancient Mesopotamia (Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, Assyria) and the ancient Eastern Mediterranean (Ugarit, Phoenicia, the Kingdom of Israel, and the Kingdom of Judah)
- teaching according to our own uniquely designed methods and study manuals, including the use of digital technologies for working with written and visual monuments of the Ancient East and the use of professional Internet resources in Assyriology (for example, CDLI - Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative)
- extensive language training (Akkadian, Sumerian, Hebrew, Ancient Greek, Arabic, Aramaic)
- development of language competencies, stimulated by a bilingual learning environment (the programme is taught in Russian and English)
- additional European language (German, French)
- practical training and internships are carried out in the leading research institutes of St Petersburg (the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts) and archaeological expeditions. Students present their scientific reports in all-Russian and international conferences and seminars on the Ancient World and the Ancient Near East
- there is an opportunity to communicate with prospective employers in the framework of regular career days, seminars and workshops with company representatives
- there is an opportunity to continue their education in master’s and doctoral programmes in the Ancient East at universities in Europe and America, which also provides for archaeological practice in expeditions on the territory of the states of the Near and Middle East
Organisations where our graduates work
- The National Library of Russia
- The Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- The Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- The State Hermitage Museum
- The State Museum of the History of Religion