AUS symposium explores digital humanities' impact on Arab/Islamic scholarship

Sharjah, UAE., March 11, 2024 – With the emergence of digital humanities revolutionizing academic research globally, enabling unprecedented exploration of literary texts and media, the American University of Sharjah (AUS) Department of Arabic and Translation Studies recently hosted the symposium The Praxis of Digital Humanities: Expanding Horizons and Transforming Scholarship in the Arab/Islamic World, showcasing innovative intersections between digital technologies and Arab/Islamic scholarship. 

Digital humanities encompass the interdisciplinary field of study that merges humanities disciplines with digital technologies, employing computational methods to analyze cultural artifacts and texts. The aim is to enhance understanding of all human cultural products, old and new, through collaborative research and the power of computing. 

Drawing enthusiastic participation from more than 30 scholars and practitioners from all around the world, the symposium featured keynote speaker Professor Umar Ryad from the University of Leuven, Belgium, who delivered the address "Challenges and Opportunities in Digital Humanities for Arabic and Islamic Studies," emphasizing the profound impact of digital technologies on scholarship in Arabic and Islamic studies within and the region and beyond.

In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Ahmed Ali, Professor of Translation and Head of the Department of Arabic and Translation Studies at AUS, stated: “Our symposium aims not only to showcase groundbreaking research but also to foster an environment of collaboration and dialogue. The challenges we face in digitizing and analyzing the vast corpus of Arab/Islamic literature are not insurmountable obstacles but rather opportunities for growth and innovation. By coming together, we can build new pathways for scholarship and preserve our heritage for generations to come.”

Throughout four sessions, researchers addressed various aspects of digital humanities within the Arab/Islamic context. Sessions included discussions on computational linguistics, media studies, digital tools for cultural preservation and explorations of textual and geospatial data. Scholars engaged in lively debates, presenting cutting-edge research that highlighted the transformative potential of digital methodologies in shaping the future of scholarship in the Arab/Islamic world. 

Dr. May Zaki, Associate Professor of Linguistics at AUS and symposium chair, noted that the symposium was an incredible opportunity to showcase the potential of digital humanities to transform our understanding of Arab/Islamic texts and culture. 

“The depth of engagement and richness in topics throughout the symposium has been truly inspiring, reflecting the continuous development in this field where Arabic and Islamic languages and culture are not left behind. It is also important that AUS is taking a leading role in hosting such an event which highlights the important work being done in Arabic/Islamic digital humanities and presents to our students shining examples of harnessing the technical computational skills that define our world today in the study of humanities," she said.