"Mohammed bin Zayed for Humanities" Launches the first master’s program in Emirati folk literature in the region
ABU DHABI, 17 November / WAM / Mohammed bin Zayed University for the Humanities announced today the launch of the Master’s program in Emirati Folk Literature within its academic system, following the signing of a cooperation agreement with the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, to be the first academic program of its kind in the region that deals with specialized scientific studies in Emirati folk literature according to approved research methodologies and contemporary academic frameworks.
In the presence of His Excellency Fares Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, and His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Rashid Al Hameli, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed bin Zayed University for the Humanities, the agreement was signed by His Excellency Abdullah Mubarak Al Muhairi, Acting Director General of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, and His Excellency Dr. Khalifa Mubarak Al Dhaheri, Director of the University, at the Al Raha Beach Theater in Abu Dhabi in conjunction with the third episode of the “Million Poet” program. The signing ceremony was attended by a number of officials and an elite group of writers and poets. And specialists and those interested in Emirati folk literature.
This comes within the framework of the university’s cooperation with the Authority to qualify researchers capable of studying the cultural and historical context of Emirati popular literature, which contributes to highlighting the inherited Emirati values that form an integral part of the national identity.
Under the agreement, both parties are committed to promoting this unique specialization among the Authority’s employees and those interested in cultural heritage.
Cooperation includes the commitment of both parties to exchange expertise and experiences, form joint work teams to complete studies and research in the literary and poetic fields, and cooperate to implement joint cultural and scientific activities that develop pride and belonging and enhance national identity.
The academic program highlights the sources, types, genres, figures, characteristics and artistic transformations of Emirati folk literature, in addition to comparing it to the literature of the regional neighborhood and its global counterpart, by analyzing Emirati popular literary texts and studying them in their historical, social and cultural contexts. The program gains special importance based on the state’s vision, which gives priority to strengthening national identity and consolidating cultural affiliation.
The program works to monitor the various forms of Emirati popular literature, whether those with roots in the global human heritage or what represents Emirati cultural specificity in poetry and prose, in a way that highlights authentic Emirati values and establishes their importance and role in promoting social cohesion and strengthening ties between members of society.
The educational outcomes of the program include enabling students to describe the sources of Emirati popular literature and its various arts, and to compare Emirati popular literary production with its Gulf and international counterpart, in addition to analyzing popular texts according to specialized scientific curricula, and employing the results of the study in academic research, in addition to benefiting from modern digital tools in the documentation, analysis, and scientific investigation of oral Emirati popular texts in the UAE.
His Excellency Abdullah Mubarak Al Muhairi, Acting Director General of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, said that the partnership agreement with Mohammed bin Zayed University for the Humanities to launch the “Master’s Program in Emirati Folk Literature” comes within joint cooperation in completing studies and research fields to preserve the Emirati cultural heritage and enhance its societal and academic presence.
He stressed that the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority attaches great importance to documenting and studying Emirati folk literature as an integral part of the nation’s memory and a pillar of our cultural identity, explaining that the qualitative partnership with Mohammed bin Zayed University for the Humanities is an important step towards consolidating specialized studies in Emirati folk literature, and enriching the cultural scene with scientific research that contributes to transmitting our heritage to future generations.
His Excellency Dr. Khalifa Mubarak Al Dhaheri, Director of Mohammed Bin Zayed University for the Humanities, confirmed that the university is a major supporter of national projects concerned with preserving the national cultural heritage and preserving the components of the Emirati identity. He said that the signing of the cooperation agreement with the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority represents a model of integration between national institutions, in line with the directions of the UAE, which launched the “National Identity Strategy” to preserve this Emirati heritage, and the Mohammed Bin Zayed University for the Humanities is keeping pace with supporting this strategy through qualitative academic programs that enhance the presence of… Emirati heritage in research and education.
His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Amimi, Executive Director of the Poetry and Heritage Sector at the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, explained that the program, which is being offered for the first time in this specialty in the history of higher education in the UAE, is an important scientific shift in the fields of humanities studies, which contributes to serving the heritage and popular literature of the Emirates within a scientific and academic context that advances the research and educational achievement of the Emirati identity and its material and moral heritage.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter
