In 2015, we celebrate ten years since Heike Behlmer (now Professor and head of the Institute for Egyptology and Coptology at the University of Göttingen) was appointed with the support of Australia’s own Coptic community to begin Macquarie University’s program in Coptic Studies, the study of the Coptic language, and of the literature, religion, and culture of Egypt in the first millennium CE. With
its existing research and teaching strengths in Egyptology, Late Antiquity, Papyrology, and Early Christian Studies, Macquarie University is the ideal environment for Coptic Studies, which lies at the inter¬sect¬ion of these fields. In the past decade, there has been significant successes in the teaching, research, and outreach programs in Coptic Studies, forging an international reputation in the field. Significant publications and external funding has underlined the research strengths of the field. A host of students have completed Masters, Bachelors, and Higher Degree research programs of study. Graduates of the programs have gone on to be research fellows at overseas universities, PhD candidates (at Macquarie and overseas), and into a wide range of professions outside academia. Our relationship with the Coptic community of Sydney and Australia has continued to grow. Ten years after our beginning, we thank you all for your support, and look forward to the next decade of Coptic Studies at Macquarie University.
