The Faculty of Arts at An-Najah University inaugurated the Fourth International Conference titled “The Role of Translation in the Dialogue of Civilizations” under the auspices of the University’s President, Prof. Rami Hamdallah, and the sponsorship of Palestine Cellular Communications Company (Jawwal).

Attendees to the opening session included: Dr. Maher Abu Zant, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Yahya Jaber, Head of the Conference’s Preparatory Committee, Mr. Ameen Turkyyeh, Strategic Accounts Sales Director at Jawwal, in addition to several Palestinian, Arab and international scholars and researchers.

In the opening session Professor Jaber first addressed the importance and role of translation in civilization dialogue and the contribution that this Conference makes to this field. Prof. Hamdallah delivered a speech in which he welcomed the participants and said: “An-Najah always seeks to hold key events that address significant issues on the global scale despite the many obstacles that lie along the way. This Conference brings together researchers and translators from the different countries to exchange ideas and thoughts.”

He also added that An-Najah is concerned with implementing the recommendations and results of this Conference as it did previously through establishing a translation center on its campus and form a national translation body that would be responsible of the different issues related to translation.

Moreover, Prof. Hamdallah stressed the importance of dialogue among civilizations as a means to bring people from different cultures closer to each other in order to enhance mutual understanding and respect. And here, the important role of translation emerges as the only tool that can achieve this goal.

Dr. Abu Zant said that in the world of today where more complex relationships are being established between nations, and where knowledge and science are being widely dispersed and exchanged, translation takes its place as a major medium which can help people exchange and benefit from each other in the different fields of life. The world today is in an aching need for mutual understanding, a fact that needs to be emphasized everywhere so that the world would become a much better place.

Mr. Turkyyeh thanked the University for holding such an event which addresses an issue of great importance to the field of knowledge and education.

The first day of the Conference consisted of three sessions. Participants in the first day included researchers from An-Najah University, the American University of Sharjah in the UAE, the University of the Free State in South Africa, the International Committee on Languages’ Rights and Dialogue in Madrid, Spain, the University of Province in France, Orhan University in Turkey, the Russian-Palestinian Society in Um-Alfahem-Palestine, Al-Sanabel Center for Studies and Folklore, the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, the College of Sakhnin for Teacher Education, as well as Al-Quds and Hebron Universities.

The Conference will continue till Thursday, October 13^th.