The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) took part in the second International Scientific and Practical Conference organised recently in Moscow, Russia, by the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Education Centre in collaboration with the Primakov School.
Held under the theme ‘Teaching Arabic in the Modern World: Traditions and Innovations’ in both Arabic and Russian, the conference brought together 50 Russian-speaking experts and 15 Arabic speakers, with the aim of modernising methods used to teach Arabic by blending tradition with the latest educational technologies.
The event’s target audience included researchers specialising in the Arabic language, teachers whose professional activities involve studying and teaching Arabic, and Arabic language students. Discussions focused on core issues, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and language models in Arabic language teaching, Arabic dialects in Russian education, and the use of modern tools and technologies to teach Modern Standard Arabic (Fus’ha) – including in higher education – as well as to regulate and assess the quality of instruction.
Participants also explored ways to enhance the reading experience in Arabic language programmes, use translation practice as a tool in Arabic language teaching, support research into Arab ethnolinguistics, and examine prospects for teaching the Arabic of the Qur’an in schools.
“The International Scientific and Practical Conference is a vital event given its decisive role in reinforcing cultural cooperation between the UAE and Russia, while enhancing exchange between the broader Arab and Russian cultural spheres,” said His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC. “This is made particularly evident through the involvement of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Education Centre, a unique academic institution in Russia that was inaugurated last year in the presence of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. Having such a prestigious centre will enhance strategic cooperation between the two countries and open broad prospects for advancing Arabic language education, alongside history, culture, arts, and sciences.”
“Since its early years, the Primakov School has invested in moulding creative minds, nurturing imagination, equipping students with contemporary knowledge, and offering scholarships to talented learners from nearly 50 Russian regions,” H.E. bin Tamim added. “This strategy aligns seamlessly with our goals at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, and our efforts to advance the Arabic language, promote its cultural and intellectual heritage, support creative talents and refine their skills, in addition to providing research and translation grants to encourage creativity, scholarship, and knowledge.”
The ALC Chairman served as Guest of Honour at the first main panel of the conference, titled ‘Centres and Directions of Russian Arabism: Balancing Tradition and Innovation’, where he was joined by distinguished specialists and experts, namely Dr. Oleg Redkin from Saint Petersburg State University; Dr. Vasily Kuznetsov from the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences; Dr. Leonid Kogan of the Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics (HSE); Dr. Mohammed Saleh Al Amari from the Centre for Arab Culture – ”Al Hadara”; and Dr. Larisa Zeltyn from HSE.
In his remarks, H.E. bin Tamim praised the cultural ties between the UAE and Russia, as well as the close academic cooperation with Russian universities through the major academic institution that is the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Education Centre. He outlined ALC initiatives that support researchers and Arabic language scholarship, foremost among them the annual Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) – which honours leading thinkers, academics, pioneering creatives, and rising talents across 10 categories – in addition to the Centre’s grants for studies focusing on Arabic language curricula and the state of Arabic instruction and literature in school education.
Furthermore, His Excellency highlighted the importance of ‘Al Markaz: The Journal of Arab Studies’, published by the ALC in collaboration with leading international publishing house Brill, noting its contribution to building bridges between Arab and international researchers. He noted the journal’s role as a dependable source helping address the scarcity of peer-reviewed Arabic journals and the limited availability of academic knowledge in Arabic. “The journal has helped restore the presence of Arabic as a language for producing and reading scientific research, positioning it as an effective cultural counterpart to established Western authoritative sources in the fields of Arabic and Islamic studies,” he said.
Through its participation in the International Scientific and Practical Conference, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre strengthens its international presence and enhances its role in establishing connections, facilitating cultural collaboration, and creating shared spaces that shape a common future. The event offered two days of activities, notably including a performance by Arabic language students titled ‘Hand in Hand’, embodying the spirit of the occasion and reaffirming the role that the Arabic language plays as a fundamental bridge for strengthening relations and fostering deeper understanding of civilisations.
At the conclusion of the conference, H.E. Dr Ali bin Tamim, accompanied by an ALC delegation, visited the Library for Foreign Literature, Russia’s second-largest library. Founded in 1922, the library houses approximately 4.5 million books in more than 150 languages, including around 20,000 Arabic titles. His Excellency and the delegation met with the Library’s Director to exchange views on the current state of interaction between Russian and Arab cultures and discuss opportunities for future cooperation.
