Doha, Qatar: Beijing is preparing to host, on Thursday (September 18, 2025), the first international conference of its kind on Arabic–Chinese translation, organized by the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding.
The event comes as part of the Award’s cultural tour in China, following the inclusion of the Chinese language among the official languages of the Award’s 2026 session.
The conference, titled “The Reality and Challenges of the Arabic–Chinese Translation Movement,” will be held at the School of Arabic Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University from 14:00 to 17:30. This unprecedented cultural achievement marks the first academic event on Arabic–Chinese translation ever organized in China by a non-Chinese institution, reflecting the Award’s pioneering role in building cultural bridges between East and West.
The sessions will open with welcome remarks by Dr. Liu Xinlu, Vice President of the University, and Abdulrahman Al-Marri, Media Officer of the Award.
The first session, which will take place from 2:30pm to 4pm, will focus on translation, literature, and heritage. Professors from Beijing, Guangzhou, and the University of International Business and Economics will present papers on the translation of Arabic and Islamic literature and the Holy Qur’an, as well as on the presence of Chinese heritage in Arabic works.
The second session, scheduled from 4:10pm to 5:30pm, will explore translation as a bridge for education and civilization. It will include an Arabic artistic performance by students, along with research presentations on teaching Arabic in Chinese universities, civilizational cooperation, and the experience of the Zhou Kai Educational Fund in supporting the translation movement.
The conference will bring together a distinguished group of scholars and translators in China.
