HBKU Symposium Explores Future of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Arab World

Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) hosted “At the Crossroads: Navigating Challenges and Shaping Prospects of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Arab World”, convening local and international experts to discuss pressing issues in these fields within the region.

The two-day symposium featured keynote addresses and panel discussions fostering dialogue around five themes shaping humanities and social sciences in the Arab world: curriculum development; methodologies in Arab scholarship; artificial intelligence; marginalized topics in social sciences; and the sector’s unique challenges. Dr. Abdullah Al-Nafisi, a renowned Kuwaiti academic and political thinker, addressed attendees with a keynote speech on the role of critical scholarship in confronting political and ideological challenges facing the Arab world. Other distinguished keynote addresses were delivered by Dr. Farid Alatas, Dr. Sari Hanafi, and Dr. Mohamed Al-Habib Al-Marzouki. 

Experts from the London School of Economics and Political Science, National University of Singapore, and more, gathered with regionally based peers from HBKU’s CHSS and Global Institute for Strategic Research (GISR), Qatar University, and others. Some of their most compelling conversations focused on the opportunities and ethical dilemmas posed by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies in academia, and the need to decolonize knowledge and reinvigorate Arab intellectual traditions through locally grounded, critical methodologies.

Noting the significance of the symposium’s discussions, Dr. Ibrahim Zain, Acting Dean, CHSS, said: “Ensuring that the humanities and social sciences across the Arab world continue to hold relevance to our societies requires healthy dialogue between our region’s institutions and scholars. By gathering at events like this symposium, we are reinforcing our national capacities in fields of global importance.”

Other panels addressed how regional curricula can better serve societies throughout the region, the historical and contemporary dynamics of Oriental Studies and its implications for social sciences in the Arab context, and how the region’s institutions are shaped by the cultures and communities around them.

“At the Crossroads: Humanities and Social Sciences in the Arab World: Navigating Challenges, Shaping Prospects” is the latest effort from CHSS to foster knowledge exchange within the region and beyond to help build capacities that address contemporary challenges.