Distinguished International Scholars of Arabic Studies Visit the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Sarajevo
The Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, hosted a distinguished international delegation of scholars in the fields of Arabic studies, literature, translation and cultural history.
The delegation included Prof. Mahmoud Al-Hamza from Qatar, advisor to H.E. Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, Minister of Education and Higher Education of the State of Qatar, and a distinguished scholar of the history of science, Arabic intellectual heritage and Orientalist studies; Prof. Xue Qingguo from Beijing Foreign Studies University, a renowned scholar of Arabic literature, Arabic culture and Arabic-Chinese translation; Dr. Salvador Peña Martín from the University of Málaga, a prominent scholar and translator in the field of Arabic-Spanish translation; Dr. Peter Webb from Leiden University, a leading scholar of early Arabic literature and Arab cultural history; and Dr. Amal Al-Jubouri from SOAS, poet, scholar and cultural figure engaged in Arabic and Islamic studies, literature and intercultural dialogue.
The guests were received by Dr. Amir Duranović, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Dr. Mirza Sarajkić, Head of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, and colleagues from the Department.
The visit offered an opportunity to present the long tradition of Arabic language and literature at the University of Sarajevo and to discuss future forms of academic cooperation with the academic centres such as was Beijing, Doha, Malaga, Leiden and London.
During the meeting, hosts and guests exchanged ideas on future cooperation, including academic exchange, joint lectures, translation workshops, research projects and the possibility of creating a multinational academic hub that would gather scholars and departments of Arabic studies. Special attention was given to projects related to the translation of classical and contemporary Arabic literature, as well as to research on the reception of Arabic poetry and Arabic literary heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.
Prof. Mahmoud Al-Hamza emphasized the lasting support of the State of Qatar, especially through its educational and cultural institutions, for dialogue among cultures and for the international promotion of Arabic language, literature and cultural heritage. In this context, he underlined the role of H.E. Minister Lolwah Al Khater in supporting education, cultural dialogue and the wider presence of Arabic intellectual and literary legacy in global academic and cultural spaces.
The visit confirmed the importance of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Sarajevo as a space where Arabic is studied as language of Bosnian heritage,and also as a field of literature, translation, memory, culture and civilizational dialogue. It also demonstrated the strong interest of leading international scholars in cooperation with Sarajevo and in developing new forms of partnership among departments of Arabic studies.
Both hosts and guests expressed the hope that this visit would mark the beginning of sustained academic cooperation, opening new possibilities for joint research, translation projects, institutional exchange and a broader international platform for Arabic studies based in Sarajevo.