Dr. Seham Abdelbaki Mohamed Hameed
Head of Department's Speech
The science of history is one of the oldest social sciences, which has always been of interest to humans as social beings who need to understand their history, evolution, and the resulting civilization and relics that still stand as evidence of the greatness of the early ancestors. Therefore, history has been at the forefront of branches of knowledge due to its ability to solve present and contemporary problems by comparing them with similar past events. It has become humanity's accumulated knowledge through ages and successive periods, inspiring the human mind and being a reason for the advancement of various sciences, the elevation of nations and civilizations, and their prosperity. The importance of history is evident in its ability to understand the past and derive inferences and analyses that contribute to building a bright future for nations and peoples across all human societies.
Archaeology, on the other hand, is the scientific study of the remnants of past human civilizations. It concerns the study of humans since the beginning of creation, their remnants such as tools, weapons, caves, homes, graves, skeletal remains, and the history and development of human culture. It aims to determine ethnicities through in-depth studies of ancient peoples across different periods, comparing some to others or dividing those eras into periods based on the development of tools, their styles, and decorations. This contributes to preserving the material heritage. While historical texts are fundamental in recording and tracking historical movements and events, archaeological findings are authentic sources that validate historians' claims and uncover facts not addressed by various historical sources. Hence, both sciences are complementary. The curriculum of the Department of History and Archaeology at the College of Arts and Humanities - the Islamic University of Minnesota represents a unique blend of knowledge indispensable to students.
The department includes a distinguished group of specialists renowned in various media outlets (visual, auditory, and written). Most of them participate in numerous local and international seminars, conferences, and lectures, alongside their respected books and scholarly research in the same field, contributing to graduating outstanding students in history and archaeology in the Arab world.
Congratulations to our students on having this blessed department, which will enhance their analytical and critical abilities, help them comprehensively understand their current issues, shape their future, and recreate leadership personalities that will restore the glories of the Islamic nation and cling to its identity. There is no honor except with it, no humiliation except without it, and no hope except in recalling its past and history and retrieving its looted artifacts. Embrace history, study it, and understand the value of what civilizations have left behind, young people, to lead today and tomorrow.
May God grant success...
