Doha: The Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding (SHTAIU) will organize on Thursday the first international conference of its kind on translation between Arabic and Chinese in Beijing.
The conference will feature the participation of a select group of academics and translators from China.
This conference is part of a tour of China by a delegation from the Sheikh Hamad Award, which began today and will continue until Sept. 26. This tour marks the inclusion of Chinese as one of the languages of the 2026 edition of the award.
Held under the theme of the reality and challenges of the translation movement between Arabic and Chinese, the conference is hosted by the School of Arabic Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).
It represents an unprecedented cultural milestone as the first academic event on Arabic-Chinese translation to be organized in China by a non-Chinese institution. This highlights the pioneering role of the award in building bridges of cultural understanding between East and West.
The conference will feature two opening remarks by BFSU Vice President Prof. Liu Xinlu, and the Award's Media Officer Abdulrahman Al Marri, during the first session.
The session will discuss issues of translation, literature, and heritage, with the participation of professors from Peking University, Guangzhou University, and the University of International Business and Economics. Their papers will address the translation of Arabic and Islamic literature and the Holy Quran, as well as the presence of Chinese heritage in Arabic.
The second session will focus on translation as a bridge to education and civilization. It will include an Arabic artistic presentation by students, along with research on teaching Arabic in Chinese universities, cultural cooperation, and the experience of the Zhou Kai Educational Fund in supporting the translation movement.
In a statement today, the SHTAIU indicated that this conference represents a qualitative milestone in the award's journey, bringing together pioneering expertise in translation, literature, and civilization under one roof, paving the way for further academic and cultural cooperation between the Arab and Chinese worlds.
This tour aims to strengthen the award's presence in the Chinese academic and cultural scene and open new horizons for cooperation with universities, research centers, and cultural institutions in China.
It also seeks to underscore the role of translation as a bridge for cultural communication and to consolidate the award's position as a leading international platform for translation and understanding between peoples.
The award delegation's visit to Beijing also includes a diverse program combining academic and cultural activities. The delegation will meet with a select group of translators and academics working in the field of translation, including previous Chinese winners from the 2018 and 2021 editions.
The visit will also include tours of key academic and cultural institutions in the field of translation and Arabic studies, such as the International Confucian Association (ICA), Peking University, and others, as well as an introduction to the ancient cultural landmarks there.
The second stop for the award delegation will be in Shanghai, where meetings are scheduled with a number of translators and institutions engaged in cultural exchange between Arabic and Chinese, as well as publishing houses interested in Arabic translation.
An academic meeting will also be held with professors and students at Shanghai International Studies University to discuss the challenges facing Arabic-Chinese translation and explore effective ways to enhance and advance its development.
