Qatar University’s (QU) Ibn Khaldon Center for Humanities & Social Sciences organized a cultural symposium on “Cultural Tracks in Qatar,” in the presence of Dr. Nayef Nahar Al Shamari, the center’s director, a group of faculty, students, interested parties and local media representatives.
The seminar consisted of three sessions: a) readings of cultural tracks b) literary testimonies of poetry and narrative tracks c) critical tracks.
During the symposium’s first session Qatari novelist and journalist, Dr. Ahmed Abdul Malik discussed the general features of Qatari society, while Dr. Marzooq Bashir spoke of cultural fields and centers in Qatar and Dr. Hassan Rashid spoke of critical theater in Qatar. Dr. Fatma Al-Suwaidi from QU’s Arabic Language Department moderated the session.
The next session focusing on Qatari talents and literary creators, was moderated by Director-General of the Qatari Forum for Authors Maryam Yassin Al Hammadi, while three speakers, Samira Obeid, Abdul Hamid Al-Yousef and Dr. Noura Mohammed Faraj, focused on their experiences, which included the challenges they face.
The third session provided critical readings of Qatari literature as well as experiences of Qatari critics moderated by Khawla Mortazawi from QU’s Media & Publications Section. Speakers included Dr. Murad Mubarak, Dr. Ahmed Halabi, Dr. Rami Abo Shaheb and Professor Noura Al-Hajri.
The “Cultural Tracks in Qatar” symposium aimed to highlight aspects of the cultural and literary landscape in Qatar, emphasizing the importance of the cultural and intellectual movement as a guide to the development of the country. The symposium also addressed the experiences of cultural centers and their contributions both locally and abroad.
The Ibn Khaldon’s vision is to play a pioneering role in the Arab and Islamic world towards re-examining the theoretical orientations of the social sciences and the humanities, with a view to becoming the sought platform and intellectual space for researchers and scientific initiatives in the region and beyond.
The center’s research agenda spans a range of substantive areas of importance, including social sciences, humanities, area studies, and security and strategic studies. Its core mission and mandate is to bridge the gap between the theoretical studies and actual needs of Muslim-Arab societies in collaboration with leading institutions and researchers (locally, regionally and internationally) who share the same intellectual concerns.