The University of Granada newly established Sheikh Tamim Chair marks a new feat in Qatar’s flourishing relations with Spain.
Qatar has announced the establishment of the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Chair for Teaching Arabic Language and Andalusian Heritage at the University of Granada in Spain.
The chair will provide scholarships to teach the Arabic language at Qatar University during the academic year 2024-2025.
The announcement came after Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Spain for the inaugural Qatar-Spain Strategic Dialogue.
A joint statement with Sheikh Mohammed’s counterpart Jose Manuel Albares also revealed a series of new initiatives to bolster educational and cultural ties.
This includes an agreement between Qatar Foundation and Albeniz Foundation to establish a Research Chair of Arabic and Eastern Music at the Reina Sofia School of Music, as well as offering scholarships for teaching Arabic language at Qatar University (QU).
The two officials underscored the importance of people-to-people connection in order to encourage diversity, inclusion and institutional excellence within the educational setting.
Shaikha Abdulrahman Al-Hemaidi, a linguistics student at Qatar University minoring in Spanish Language, highlighted the significance of this recent development in fostering a dynamic partnership between the two countries. She believes it will encourage more people in Qatar to explore learning Spanish, while also promoting Arabic language studies among people in Spain.
“The establishment of the Sheikh Tamim Chair is more reason for me to excel in my Spanish minor and develop my acquisition of the language,” Al-Hemaidi told Doha News.
“This is a great opportunity for Qatar-Spanish expertise to be pooled among our national institutions to foster academic collaborations,” she added.
The student views the latest Qatar-Spain educational development as opening the doors to future joint research initiatives.
“I think there’s so much that can jointly be explored – especially within the fields of history and linguistics, or even economics and international relations,” she said.
Cultural intersections
Spanish-Qatar relations, which date as far back as 1972, continue to flourish. Despite the continental divide, latest developments in bilateral ties may contribute to diminishing language and cultural barriers.
During the Qatar-Spain Strategic Dialogue, Sheikh Mohammed and Albares stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation in cultural domains such as performing arts, cinema, music, and museums.
“There are some meeting points between Qatari and Spanish cultures,” Al-Hemaidi pointed out, highlighting the shared rich coastal heritage of both two nations as an example.
“As someone who has become familiarised with Spanish culture, I can also say that Qatar and Spain mutually recognise the value of family, education and academics and how these can be a force for improving our societies and beyond,” she added.
From 711 to 1492, Al Andalus, better known as Andalusia, served as Islam’s western frontier after Arab and North African Muslims crossed Gibraltar into the Iberian Peninsula, establishing their rule.
In academic narratives, Madrid’s origins are often traced back to the 9th century and attributed to Emir Muhammad I of Cordoba. Alvaro Soler, a Spanish archeologist, had previously told Al Jazeera: “Madrid is the only European capital with Islamic origins”.
In recent years, Spain has embraced this Islamic heritage. Last year, Madrid’s Galeria de Colecciones Reales opened its doors to the public – showcasing the city’s deep rooted Islamic past. The museum itself stands enclosed within the city’s original Umayyad fortified wall.
