Georgetown Symposium Co-hosted With the Sheikh Hamad Award Highlights the Importance of Translation in Driving Knowledge Production

In cooperation with the Sheikh Hamad International Award for Translation and International Understanding, Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) hosted a symposium titled “Translation and the Transfer of Knowledge, Reality of the Arabic Language.”

The event brought together a number of experienced academics in the field of translation, linguistics, and interpretation, and was moderated by Dr. Mahmoud Al-Ashiri, director of the Arabic Language and Culture Program and professor at GU-Q.

In his welcome remarks, GU-Q’s dean, Dr. Ahmed Dallal, highlighted the importance of translation, noting: “Translation is the bridge that connects cultures, while preserving the identity and unique character of each culture. Translation has long been a wellspring of science and knowledge.”

Dr. Dalal pointed out the priority which Georgetown attaches to qualifying its students in Arabic and other languages in order that they have the tools and capabilities to participate in the global production and exchange of knowledge. He also emphasised the important role which the Sheikh Hamad Award plays in honoring distinguished translators and encouraging creativity and cultural diversity.

Dr. Hanan Al-Fayyad, professor at Qatar University and Media Adviser to the Sheikh Hamad International Award for Translation and International Understanding, spoke about the role of translation as a means of eliminating conflicts and reducing ignorance of other actors in the world. She also defined the details of the annual award categories, amount awarded, and judging criteria.

Dr. Imtenan Al-Smadi of Qatar University, a member of the Award’s Media Committee, also spoke about institutional support for translation as an important intellectual activity, reviewing how translation has contributed to intellectual momentum across cultures over time, and the role of cultural and political institutions throughout history in supporting translation.

Further insight into the power and importance of precision translation came from panelists Dr. Mubarak Hanoun, professor at Qatar University, who spoke about the importance of using correct scientific terminology, Dr. Alaa Al-Jebali, director of the Language Center at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, who spoke on the challenges of simultaneous interpretation, and Dr. Amr Othman, professor of Islamic History at Qatar University, who gave further knowledge about how to translate long and complex sentences in intellectual works.

The Award, founded in 2015 in Doha, is an international prize run by a board of trustees, a steering committee and independent panels of judges, and ranks among the world’s richest literary prizes for translation. The prize honors translators and acknowledges their role in strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation among communities and nations around the world.

The 2020 Sheikh Hamad Award cycle will open for nominations in the spring, and the 2019 award winners will be announced this December.