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AUD launches center for Arabic studies

DUBAI - The American University in Dubai (AUD) on Saturday announced the launch of a Center for Arabic Studies and Translation at Mohammed Bin Rashid School For Communication (MBRSC).

The launch of the center is in line with recent initiatives by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to preserve the Arabic language while raising its level and marking the UAE as the center of excellence in the Arabic language.

The mission of the Center for Arabic Studies and Translation at MBRSC is to build a cultural bridge between languages, and to promote communication among civilizations through preparing and qualifying human resources that will be able to transform the initiatives and aspirations of the wise leadership of the UAE into reality.

Executive Vice President of AUD Elias Bou Saab commented on the launch: “The announcement of this initiative comes as an implementation of the mission of His Highness. Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in promoting the UAE as a sophisticated center for studies in the fields of science, knowledge, translation, and grammar in the region and within the framework of AUD’s strategy. The university’s objective is to promote and activate national creativity to keep up with the developments of different sectors, that Dubai in particular and the UAE in general, have seen, in order to achieve the country’s ‘Vision 2021’.”

Bou Saab added that the Center for Arabic Studies and Translation at AUD will be a regional center to: prepare qualified interpreters, develop the translation mechanisms, interact with the modern means of communication and meet the requirements of the media arts nowadays. This will allow media students in particular and humanities students in general, UAE citizens, Arabs or foreigners alike, who are studying at MBRSC, to experience the social reality of the society they live in, and help them bring different cultures across the world closer together.

Dean of Mohammed Bin Rashid School For Communication at AUD Ali Jaber explained that the Center for Arabic Studies and Translation will emphasize the promotion of the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to place the UAE as one of the most important platforms of the Arabic language, and as a pioneer in translation, grammar, exchange of knowledge and cultural heritage in the region. The Center will focus on translation in media, its techniques and how to analyze the information that it transfers along with the Internet, which enhances the role of the Arabic language to update the Arabic-speaking public with what is happening from the science and culture sectors within a virtual community.

The new Center gives a real opportunity to learn and benefit from the achievements of the different scientific studies in the world, and from the cultural exchange of knowledge and civilization; in addition to its upcoming role in establishing a constructive dialogue between the various literatures and narrowing the gap between different civilizations and cultures.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum last April launched several initiatives to celebrate the Arabic language and strengthen its position.

The initiatives involved the launch of the Center for Arabic Studies and Translation at AUD among others, and included an Arabic language charter, the establishment of an advisory council for the application of the principles of that charter, which are related to the revival of Arabic as a language of science and knowledge, to shed the light on its outstanding students, and finally to establish a center for Arabic language at Zayed University, in addition to an “e-initiative” to promote Arabic as a content on the Internet.