Ahmed bin Majid was a fifteenth-century navigator, cartographer and poet, born in what is now the UAE. Known as the first Arab seaman, he is credited with helping the Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama open up the first maritime route between Europe and India. For Europe, this discovery opened up new avenues of trade, but for Bin Majid’s own homeland it, signaled the end of a trade route that had placed it at the center of a thriving economic and cultural exchange. Bin Majid himself left behind an extensive body of work on the navigation of the Indian Ocean, which became a reference for Arab, European and Ottoman sailors alike.

The many sides of Bin Majid’s legacy speak to the complexities of intercultural communication and translation. On the one hand, the flow between cultures opens up the possibility of exchange and new knowledge. On the other, it has been associated with colonization, exploitation and even the betrayal of one’s own native culture. Now and historically, the Gulf has been a site of transit, translation, and exchange. The Fifth Annual Translation Conference seeks to explore the myriad aspects of this cultural flow, both in and beyond the region.

Possible paper topics include the study of translation as it relates to: migration and communication networks; the construction of narrative in historical and current events, or vis-à- vis the concept of citizenship; mass media, social media and citizen media; the Arab Spring; transnational communities and institutions (GCC, EU, MERCOSUR, inter alia); communication in and between religious communities; conflict; global literary networks; women’s networks and gender; globalization and counter models of globalization, past and present; new intercultural connections forged by emerging transcontinental migrational flows; and difference and otherness in translation. Carrying this idea of flow into the discipline of translation, topics might address the dialogue between, and possible combination of, different theoretical approaches, post- Translation Studies, the need to critique and move beyond Western models of translation studies, and the examination of other culturally specific models of translation studies.

Given the tradition of exchange and translation within the Gulf itself, this conference is particularly interested in papers that focus on translation as it relates to: travel narratives in and beyond the region; development and modernity; the translation revival in the GCC; and efforts to document and preserve Gulf Arab heritage, oral traditions, and culture in new global context.

Requirements

Proposals may be written in Arabic or English, but papers that are accepted to the conference must be given in English. Proposals should be submitted online through http://www.editorialmanager.com/tii-conference/default.asp
. They should include the following elements:

• Applicant’s institutional affiliation and contact information, including email
• An abstract of 200 to 250 words Papers accepted by the general conference will be allocated 30 minutes in the program, which includes no more than 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for questions/discussion.

The deadline for proposals is January 15th, 2014.

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation (BQF) is owned by Qatar Foundation and managed by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc in London. BQFP is based in Doha, Qatar, and has four core aims:

• Publishing: To publish books of excellence and originality to the highest editorial, design and production standards, in Arabic and in English. The list ranges from board books for babies, children's books, fiction and non-fiction for adults, information and reference, and academic monographs.
• Connecting local research with the global research community through publishing original peer reviewed academic articles, book and journals through QScience.com and manage scholarly communication services to advance the research capability of Qatar.
• Reading and Writing Development: To encourage lifelong literacy in Qatar and the Arab World.
• Knowledge Transfer: To transfer publishing and related skills to Qatar and the Gulf region via training and other initiatives.

Translation and Interpreting Institute

Hamad bin Khalifa Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII) was established with a mission to build translation capacity in Qatar and the region. Under the umbrella of HBKU and as an initiative of Qatar Foundation, TII is situated in the prestigious Education City. It is a physical and virtual space that delivers sophisticated post-graduate translator and interpreter education, high-level training in a range of languages (Arabic, English, French and Spanish) and quality translation and interpreting services of the highest international standards.

TII will contribute to capacity building in the areas of scholarly research and translator training through its Postgraduate Studies, Research Center, Language Center and Professional    Services, providing a qualified cadre of high-level professionals for the region.

For more information, please contact Christopher Larkosh at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.