Oakland University to Host Chaldean Language Workshop Graduation Ceremony Celebrating Language, Iden

Oakland University to Host Chaldean Language Workshop Graduation Ceremony Celebrating Language, Identity, and Community Impact

On Friday, April 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM, Oakland University will host the graduation ceremony for the Chaldean Language Workshop in The Habitat at the Oakland Center. This special event will recognize students who have completed the introductory and intermediate levels of the program and will receive Certificates of Completion in recognition of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to learning the Chaldean language.

This ceremony is more than a celebration of student achievement. It is also a celebration of the preservation of the Chaldean language, heritage, and identity, and an important milestone in a growing effort to pass this language on to a new generation.

The Chaldean language started in ancient Uruk around 3300 BCE in Chaldu, the southern part of Mesopotamia in modern Iraq. The Chaldean script was the first writing, later called cuneiform by archaeologists. The older version of Chaldean was called Akkadian, named after the city of Akkad, the capital of King Sargon. The ethnic identity of the language was Chaldean. It was the language of science from 3300 BCE until the fall of Babylon in 539 BCE.

The Chaldean Language Workshop was founded by Stephen Hannawi at Oakland University as a revival effort for an endangered language. The program was created to help preserve and teach the Chaldean language in a structured setting on campus. It offers students the opportunity to learn how to read, write, and speak Chaldean, while also reconnecting with a language that carries deep historical, cultural, and spiritual meaning. For many students, the workshop has become a bridge to parents, grandparents, family history, and a broader understanding of their heritage.

What makes the program especially meaningful is that its impact has already moved beyond the classroom. Some students are now using what they have learned in practical settings, including clinics, where they are helping Chaldean-speaking patients communicate more effectively with English-speaking doctors. In this way, the program is not only preserving a heritage language, but also helping improve communication and access to care in the community.

The workshop has drawn strong support from Oakland University leadership and the wider university community. Senior university leaders and representatives are expected to attend the ceremony, reflecting the significance of the students’ achievement and the growing recognition of the Chaldean language at Oakland University.

The event is also drawing media attention. The workshop has previously received coverage from The Oakland Press, Oakland University News, The Oakland Post, Chaldean media, and Epiphany / Ave Maria Radio. The graduation ceremony continues that momentum as the program reaches an important new stage.

The significance of this event extends beyond one evening. It represents a larger statement that the Chaldean language is still alive, still worthy of being taught, and still capable of serving both identity and community life in meaningful ways. In a time when many heritage languages face generational loss, this ceremony stands as a public affirmation that the effort to preserve and transmit the Chaldean language is both possible and necessary.

At its heart, this graduation ceremony is about students. It is about honoring the time they invested, the discipline they showed, and the value of what they chose to learn. It is about recognizing that language is more than vocabulary. It carries memory, belonging, family connection, and a people’s sense of who they are. By completing this program, these students are helping to carry forward something precious.

The Chaldean Language Workshop Graduation Ceremony will take place on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM in The Habitat at the Oakland Center, Oakland University.

For additional information, media inquiries, or interview requests, contact:

Stephen Hannawi, JD
Founder, Chaldean Language Workshop
Oakland University
shannawi@oakland.edu
248-202-4143