Islamic University of Minnesota Celebrates the Opening of the Center for Academic Studies

Distinguished Presence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Panama and a Number of Academic Figures from Different Countries

The Islamic University of Minnesota witnessed a special celebration on the occasion of the inauguration of the Center for Academic Studies, in the presence of a large number of distinguished academic figures from different countries, including His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to Jordan, José Ulises Licore.

The ceremony opened with a welcome speech by Dr. Nour Saad, a member of the faculty of the College of Arts and Humanities, in which she welcomed the distinguished guests, including Professor Dr. Mohammed Al-Mathkouri Al-Maatawi from the University of Autónoma de Madrid - Spain, Professor Dr. Adel bin Othman from the Higher Institute of Specialized Languages, University of Carthage - Tunisia, Professor Dr. Mahdi Masmoudi from the University of Autónoma de Baja California Sur - Mexico, Jose Daniels, President of the Union of Writers of the City of Cartagena de Indias - Colombia, and Professor Dr. Abdulkhaleq Al-Najmi from the "Lina" Translation House, Granada - Spain.

The university's vice president, the head of the main center, Dr. Omar Al-Maqrami, gave a speech in which he emphasized the university's commitment to spreading the message of science and knowledge throughout the world, noting that this center is the fifth center to be opened at the university level, and the second at the level of the College of Arts. Al-Maqrami expressed his hope that the Center for Academic Studies will be a beacon of scientific research, and he thanked the College of Arts for its academic and administrative staff, and all the colleges in the university.

In turn, the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Head of the Center for Languages and Translation, and Head of the Center for Academic Studies, Dr. Ismail Hamed, welcomed the distinguished guests, expressing his hope that the Center for Academic Studies will be a successful scientific platform following in the footsteps of the Center for Languages and Translation. Hamed stressed the importance of the center in spreading the culture of knowledge and disseminating it among students and researchers inside and outside the university.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Panama, José Ulises Licore, gave a speech in English, in which he greeted the university's vice president, Dr. Omar Al-Maqrami, and the officials there, and thanked Dr. Ali El-Shboul, Head of the Latin American Studies Unit, for his kind invitation to attend this ceremony, ending his speech with congratulations on the establishment of this center.

Professor Dr. Mohammed Al-Mathkouri Al-Maatawi from the University of Autónoma de Madrid - Spain emphasized the importance of establishing such centers, not only to spread Islamic culture, but also to enhance dialogue with the other. He pointed out that the Quranic text includes the existence of the other, and that Islam as a religion and civilization contained the vessel of the other.

For his part, Professor Dr. Adel bin Othman from the Higher Institute of Specialized Languages, University of Carthage in Tunisia, stressed the importance of diversity and openness to the other, praising the approach of the Islamic University of Minnesota based on diversity. Bin Othman stressed the keenness on action and the keenness on positive results.

After that, a video presentation of the Center for Academic Studies was shown, which was established to be a tributary of higher education and scientific research, by developing the academic capabilities of students and researchers for distinguished programs and modern curricula in many scientific fields affiliated with the departments of the College of Arts and Humanities.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Dr. Ali El-Shboul, Head of the Latin American Studies Unit at the Center for Academic Studies, gave a speech in which he thanked the attendees for their participation, and stressed the importance of the unit in strengthening cultural relations between peoples.

The ceremony received distinguished media coverage from a number of local and international media outlets, reflecting the importance of this important scientific and cultural event.

This celebration is an important step in the journey of the Islamic University of Minnesota towards achieving its scientific and research goals, and a confirmation of its commitment to spreading the message of science and knowledge throughout the world.