Future of the Arabic Language | Bilal Orfali x Enam Al-Wer | Tasmeem Doha 2022: Radical Futures
In this event, we talked to professor of linguistics Enam Al-Wer and professor and chair of Arabic language and literature Bilal Orfali about the future of the Arabic language.
Bilal Orfali is a Lebanese scholar of Arabic language and literature. He currently serves as Sheikh Zayed Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut. He is considered an expert on Arabic prose and poetry, especially during the 10th century.
Enam Al Wer graduated from the University of Jordan with a BA in English and German, and went on to obtain a Diploma in German from the Goethe Institute, Munich. She subsequently obtained an MLing in Manchester, writing a dissertation on the syntax of negation in Jordanian Arabic. Her PhD at Essex (supervised by Prof. Peter Trudgill) was on phonological variation in the speech of women. She previously taught English Linguistics at Philadelphia University, Jordan, and has also taught sociolinguistics at Cambridge University and Birkbeck College.
Tasmeem Doha is a biennial international conference that focuses on unique and contemporary themes in art and design. Tasmeem Doha 2022's theme, Radical Futures, is an inclusive and multi-faceted view of the future, one that not only speculates on technological advancements—but on future threats and changes whether environmental, geographical, cultural, or social. Now more than ever, we must ask pertinent questions, raise critical dialogues, and respond with clarity.
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Tasmeem Doha is a biennial international conference that focuses on unique and contemporary themes in art and design. For 2024, the theme of the event is “Under Construction”, which is both a metaphor for creative research as well as a celebration and investigation of transformation. It is also a state that Doha has found itself in for decades: a transformation that has presented an outsized impact on the residents of the city. Under Construction will also explore the past, present and future of VCUarts Qatar’s flagship event Tasmeem Doha. As part of the 25th anniversary of VCUart Qatar's campus in Doha, the event will bring together voices from the past, present and future of various disciplines involved in this cycle of rethinking and remaking.
