OSAKA, Japan, twenty first September, 2025 (WAM) – The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) will co-organise a convention celebrating the a centesimal anniversary of Arabic public training in Japan on 21-22 September 2025. Under the patronage of UNESCO and in partnership with The National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku), the convention, Exploring Intercultural Dialogue of Japan and the Arab World via the Arabic Language, will mark the centenary of Arabic-language instructing and rejoice the importance of verbal communication in fostering Arab-Japanese relations.
The two-day convention is a part of UNESCO’s Intercultural Dialogue Programme which seeks to foster transformative communication throughout cultures and identities. The collaboration between the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and Minpaku builds on the present partnership between the 2 establishments that has already produced important cultural exchanges, together with Arabian Nights: A Cultural Journey Across Continents, a convention held at Tokyo’s Keio University in September 2024 and organised by ALC in collaboration with Professor Tetsuo Nishio, Professor Emeritus at Minpaku. These initiatives replicate the rising power of Arab-Japanese cultural dialogue and open fruitful avenues for future cooperation within the area.
On twenty first September, the opening day of the convention featured a public programme of talks and occasions that foreground the artwork and tradition impressed by the Arabic language that replicate the enduring energy to attach and encourage.
On twenty second September, a tutorial symposium will study the historical past and present state of Arabic language training in Japan. In in the present day’s world, the place globalisation and digitalisation are quickly remodeling the language setting for understanding completely different cultures via verbal communication, the symposium hopes to rethink the that means of studying languages to construct bridges with folks from completely different cultures, and to extend the variety of instructional establishments in Japan the place Arabic is taught. Speakers embody: Yosr Souai, Consultant for the Social and Human Sciences Sector and the Intercultural Dialogue Program at UNESCO, Dr Akiko Sumi, Professor at Kyoto Notre Dame University, Dr Yoshiaki Fukuda, Associate Professor at University of Osaka, Dr Abdalla Almoamen, Professor at Tokai University, and Masayuki Miyamoto, Former Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The first day of the convention opened with remarks by Yuji Seki, Director-General of the National Museum of Ethnology and Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre.
Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, stated, “The ALC is honoured to collaborate with UNESCO and Japan’s National Museum of Ethnology in celebrating 100 years of Arabic language education in Japan and the extraordinary progress in Arab-Japanese cultural ties. This milestone underscores the transformative power of cross-cultural exchange.
“Our initiatives to amplify Arabic language world resonance are designed to gas this significant intercultural dialogue. Guided by the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s visionary management, we stay dedicated to cultivating mutual understanding between civilisations, elevating tolerance as a common worth, and advancing the shared humanitarian beliefs that unite Emirati and Japanese cultures.”
As one of the six official languages of the United Nations, Arabic plays a vital role in fostering cross-cultural understanding and global dialogue, making its inclusion in academic discourse more important than ever. This symposium will highlight how Arabic continues to be a bridge between peoples and regions, connecting communities through shared understanding.
Dr Tetsuo Nishio, Professor Emeritus at the National Museum of Ethnology, said, “I’ve been studying Arabic for nearly 50 years now. Exactly 100 years in the past, for the primary time in Japan, a college programme was established to show Arabic. I’ve been instructing Arabic at Kyoto University for nearly 30 years. The world has modified over the previous 100 years, in fact, however the current adjustments on the earth, particularly for the reason that Covid-19 pandemic, have been past our expectations. Globalisation and digitalisation are altering the world at an accelerating tempo, the earth is turning into smaller, and we have gotten extra related to one another as people.
“We are at a significant transformation level within the lengthy historical past of humanity. I wish to take this chance to evaluate the function of the Arabic language and rethink the interplay between Japan and the Arab world. I additionally hope that this big day will additional promote cultural exchanges between the UAE and Japan, and specifically, develop new analysis cooperation via the partnership between Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka.”