Why a century-old research institute is shedding its original name
The University of Chicago's Oriental Institute has officially become the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC). This video explores the reasoning behind the rebranding and how the institution aims to better represent its vast collections and geographic focus.
The transition to ISAC, West Asia & North Africa, follows a multi-year effort to find a title that more accurately describes the institute's research scope. Following a 2021 committee process involving faculty, students, and global colleagues, the university decided to move away from the term 'Oriental,' noting that its linguistic connotations have shifted significantly over time.
Despite the new identity, the institute's core mission remains unchanged since its 1919 founding. ISAC continues to manage massive linguistic projects, such as the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary, and maintains a museum collection of over 350,000 objects. These artifacts, largely unearthed during expeditions between the 1920s and 1940s, represent a deep history of scholarship across regions including Egypt, Iraq, and Turkey.
Source: The OI has changed its name to ISAC
