Earlier, lectures about Old Egyptian Language (mag. Sergei Stadnikov, US00.06.044, US00.06.054), Old Egyptian Religion (mag. Sergei Stadnikov, US00.06.030), Hittite Language (prof. dr. Jaan Puhvel, US00.06.045, dr. G. Frantz-Szabó) and Phoenician and Hebrew Epigraphics (prof. dr. Michael Heltzer, US00.05.020) have been held and will be continued at the Faculty of Theology.

As the Chair for Ancient Near Eastern Studies resides by the Faculty of Theology of University of Tartu, all of the lectures by this seminar take place there. Our main auditorium is 308. As assyriology is not yet main subject for most of students interested in it, most of lectures are held in the afternoon and evening. Exact time of lectures are determined in the beginning of each semester by the agreement of lecturer and students, therefore it is highly recommendable for interested persons to visit already the first lectures – if the original time does not suit You, it maybe exchanged with a better one. In other questions, too, the seminar tries to stress individual approach, independent work with the scientific literature and published materials, integration of university studies and scientific work, and strong personal connection between the scholars and students, which have always been the fundamental features of the classical European high education at its best.

In close years, we try to involve more foreign lecturers into our schedules to cover most of the necessary subjects during the nominal studying time by using one-time lecture cycles. The constant enlargement of our library due to generous donations and solving our room problems will also help advancing the situation.

In 2001 we have prepared an assyriological subject module according to the plans of the new high education reform, which allows also achieving all the grades in assyriology (bachelor, master, doctor) as a minor subject to the Faculty of Theology.