The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) organized several events and seminars on the second day of its participation in the 32ndedition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), which is being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from22 to 28May 2023. Along with stressing its role in fostering knowledge pathways and empowering future generations to develop sustainable solutions, MBRF further showcased its knowledge initiatives and programs to visitors.
His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of the MBRF, discussed the Foundation’s efforts and projects during a visit by Major General Khalifa Mohammed Al Khaili, the Director of the Finance and Services Sector in Abu Dhabi Police, to the MBRF’s pavilion at ADIBF. In addition to stressing the significance of focusing on the role of knowledge in the world in a way that enables societies to keep pace with the ongoing transformations and face challenges in the world, the CEO highlighted that the event is an opportunity to promote relationships and communication with decision-makers in the publishing and knowledge industries.
Bin Huwaireb said, “The MBRF’s mission is to establish a dynamic and forward-thinking learning environment that develops people’s intellectual and creative capacities and helps establish a sustainable knowledge-based society. By putting in place a number of cutting-edge educational initiatives and programs, we can accomplish these aims.”
He added: “We aim at increasing the value of books and reading as part of our participation in ADIBF by providing a variety of engaging knowledge events. Through the Digital Knowledge Hub, sessions, and seminars of Knowledge Lounge and KnowTalks, we hope to draw in young people, families, and people who enjoy reading and learning. These individuals will have the opportunity to explore various cultures and engage with participating authors and intellectuals. The Dubai International Program for Writing (DIPW) and other initiatives that support the goals and aspirations of the MBRF in knowledge areas are another way that we are highlighting innovation and excellence in writing and publishing.”
On the second day of ADIBF, Dr. Khaled Abdel-Fattah, Digital and Knowledge Solutions Consultant at the MBRF, reviewed the Digital Knowledge Hub and its function as an e-platform based on content analytics that is accessible to everyone, as well as a digital repository for more than 27 governmental entities and a platform that offers a significant amount of in-depth analysis of content. He praised the hub’s reading synchronization and AI features that help with information finding and restoration. As part of the KnowTalks series, another session was hosted by Emma Brudett, founder of WILD Network, titled ‘Breaking barriers:Achieving gender equality,’ which stressed the value of investing in women to boost innovation and productivity. She further underlined the necessity of taking risks in order to reach our goals and the need to stop discussing issues rather than finding solutions. She pointed out that while running a business may look attractive, success requires sacrifice. She also stated that the Middle East is not making enough progress toward gender equality and that young people must lead the way for change.
As part of DIPW, a session titled ‘Translation and its Role in Transmitting World Cultures’ was held. Dr. Ghanem Al-Samarrai hosted the session and was interviewed by Professor Hussein Darwish. Al-Samarrai highlighted that translation is now a component of a nation’s soft power and that a dedicated translator will work tirelessly on a project regardless of the potential financial gain. He emphasized that translation now serves a new, creative purpose, in addition to its previous, mechanical one of idea transmission.He also stated that a translator’s enthusiasm encourages readers to read new literature from other cultures and languages and explained that translating ancient texts requires subject experts and the assistance of people with experience.
A session titled ‘The Narrative Biography and Defining Memory’ was held as a part of the Knowledge Lounge’s activities. Writer Jalal Barjas attended the session and was interviewed by Sayed Mahmoud. Using a set of axes that author Sayed Mahmoud had brought into the discussion, Barjas described his experiences in the book ‘The Crying of the Duduk.’According to Barjas, there is a significant journey between the journey of childhood and the journey and completion that are full of questions about art, writing, memory, the family, and fear that led the writer to begin and listen to his inner noise, which transformed into a space for asking questions and dealing with the transient things in his life to create a special contemplative text about the relationship between life and writing as well as about memory and the opportunities it presents, which can be invested in writing an alternative text for the novel.
The third day of the event will witness a number of sessions, including a workshop by Dr. Jamal Moqabala on ‘Critical Thinking for the Novelist’. Additionally, the ‘Book in a Minute’ event will also take place on this day, with Yazen AlKodmani, Partner, 3Y AgTech,and Deputy General Manager, Emirates Bio Farm, participating in the KnowTalks session. ‘Strategies for Effective Reading’ will be the topic of a Knowledge Lounge discussion with Dr. Khaled Abdel-Fattah. An official signing ceremony for the translation workshop will be held with Kholoud Al-Khatib and Maryam Al-Yamahi under the aegis of the DIPW.
