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The English Literature Department in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) recently organized the third international conference on, “Translating Others: the Modalities of Orientalism, Globalization and the Interculturalism of Civilizations.” It was attended by professional researchers and other major figures in the field of orientalism and was held in the crescent building theater at UAEU.

The conference helps to transfer and exchange information about the literary heritage of the UAE by offering workshops on translation and the different forms of indigenous art. The conference sought to develop new cultural, intellectual and moral connections by translating more Emirati literary and intellectual works into other languages in order to disseminate them internationally as a means of encouraging intellectual exchange with a variety of prestigious global institutions.

Dr. Saif Al Qaydi, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, delivered a speech where he stressed the importance of this conference in promoting the spread of knowledge throughout society. As such the conference represents an opportunity to build understanding and to share the benefits of both local and global cultures. The conference promoted a cultural heritage working in harmony with the local environment, something which also opens up new possibilities for thought and the perception of other cultures. This is especially important today when communications technology has made the world a smaller and more interconnected place.

Dr. Saddik Gouhar, Chairman of the Department of English Literature, pointed out that the priority of this conference is to promote research and cooperation with other universities and to work to enrich this academic field. With this in mind there were three main themes to the conference: poetry recitation and translation; stereotypes in post-colonial novels and translation studies at the time of the Crusades.