DOHA: Qatar University (QU) library received over 100 books donated by the Japanese embassy.
Ambassador Shingo Tsuda presented QU Associate Vice-President for Faculty Affairs, Dr Khalid Al Ali, with the books covering Japanese culture, contemporary novels, dictionaries and children’s books.
Present were Library Director, Dr Imad Bachir, College of Arts & Sciences Dean, Dr Eiman Mustafawi, College of Shariah & Islamic Studies Dean, Dr A Hakeem Yousuf A Alkhelaifi, embassy First Secretary, Tomoko Watanabe, Cultural Attaché, Anzwa Munehira, staff and students, including those from QU’s Japan Club.
This is the eight year of donation by the embassy to the library which also hosts a Japanese Corner among its collections.
This year’s donation was also in line with an initiative between QU College of Arts & Sciences and Japanese company Marubeni which includes lectures to increase students’ awareness of Japanese culture, language, history and heritage.
Dr Al Ali said: “The books reflect generosity of the embassy and serve to add intellectual and cultural value to the library. They also highlight strong relationship between QU and the embassy, and mutual respect between Qatar and Japan and their communities.”
The ambassador said the first Japanese book donation to QU was in 1989.
“Ever since, Qatar and Japan have developed and sustained distinctive educational and cultural relations,” he added.
To date, the embassy has donated over 900 books to the library, adding to its growing portfolio comprising over 350,000 print volumes, mainly in English and Arabic, about 110,000 eBooks, and over 120 databases covering a diverse range of subjects.
The Peninsula
