The first centre dedicated to teaching the Arabic language and culture in Portugal was inaugurated today at the University of Coimbra – the result of a partnership between the institution and the Sharjah Book Authority, a government entity in the United Arab Emirates dedicated to promoting reading, literature and the publishing industry
Called simply the Centre for Arabic Studies, this pioneering body in the national higher education system will operate under the supervision of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).
Launched with the high patronage of the head of state of Sharjah (one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates), Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, the centre will offer courses starting this month.
In addition to teaching Arabic through structured language, grammar and calligraphy programmes, the new facility also sets out to organise conferences, open classes, workshops, colloquiums, exhibitions and concerts on Arab culture; promote cultural and literary exchange between Arab and European writers, poets and thinkers; and support translations between Arabic and European languages.
The aim is to develop and strengthen academic, scientific and cultural cooperation ties by promoting the exchange of students, teachers and researchers, and building partnerships for joint initiatives.
The project also aims to strengthen intercultural dialogue by bringing the Arab world and Portugal closer together, says Lusa, “building bridges between people through literature, culture, education and languages, promoting mutual understanding and enhancement of what the two cultures have in common, namely their historical past”.
In the words of Albano Figueiredo, director of the university’s arts faculty (FLUC), : “this is an innovative and distinctive initiative”.
The lecturer responsible for the Centre will beProf. Abdeljelil Larbi, who holds a degree in Arabic Language and Literature from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of Tunis, in 1999, a master’s degree in Arab and Islamic Cultural Studies from the Faculty of Humanities of Manouba in Tunis in 2003, and a doctorate in Comparative Literary Studies from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of the New University of Lisbon in 2020.
In addition to his experience as a professor of Arabic language and literature, he is also a researcher in the field of cultural and literary studies of Arab countries and has translated several literary works from Portuguese into Arabic.
Translation will be one of the centre’s main activities, with a view to increasing the availability of works translated into both languages.
Another of the centre’s objectives is to position it as part of a wider network of institutions established with the support of the head of government of the Emirate of Sharjah in Europe, Africa and Asia – and to reinforce Sharjah’s status as UNESCO World Book Capital (2019).
Source: LUSA
