New Department of Syriac at Mardin University

I learn from George Kiraz on the Hugoye list of a newspaper announcement that Mardin University in Eastern Turkey is to create a department of Syriac studies.  Apparently Oxford University is the only other university in the world with such a department.   The university is based in the middle of the remaining Syriac-speaking population, which makes it a natural place for such study.  This is good news! Let’s hope that they hunt for books in the region and publish texts which have escaped the attention of researchers.  Who knows what may sit on rural shelves, awaiting attention?