£11m philanthropic investment in the history and ancient languages of Iraq

UCL has received a donation of more than £11m for research and teaching on the history, heritage and languages of Mesopotamia, the ancient 'land between two rivers' that is now home to modern day Iraq, Northern Syria and Eastern Turkey. The gift will fund both Iraqi led research to create economic and social benefits for local communities and a dedicated new UK hub at UCL for Ancient Middle Eastern Languages. It will build on the activities of the UCL led Nahrein Network , which takes a new approach to education and research on heritage, history and the humanities in Iraq and neighbouring countries. The Network was formed to tackle significant challenges in the region: systematic exclusion from writing and remembering Middle Eastern history and the implications of massive population growth, both against a backdrop of endemic instability, poverty and youth unemployment. It is funded by the UK Research and Innovation Arts and Humanities Research Council (UKRI AHRC) and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) until autumn 2021. The donation, from a philanthropist who has chosen to remain anonymous, will secure the Network's future for the next ten years. UCL's Head of History Professor Eleanor Robson, said: "The cultures of this region pre-date those of Greece and Rome by thousands of years.