The Opening of "The International Symposium of History and Publishing in the Languages and Countries of the Middle East" at the BA
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The BA witnessed on Tuesday, 27 September 2011, the opening of the fourth International Symposium of History and Publishing in the Languages and Countries of the Middle East, held from 27 to 29 September 2011, with the participation of several eminent researchers and academia from all over the world. The Seminar follows three successful international seminars held in Gutenberg Museum, Mainz in 2002; Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), Paris in 2005; and the University of Leipzig, Germany in 2008. The Symposium also celebrates the choice of the city of Yerevan in Armenia as the World Book Capital 2012, by dedicating a special session on publishing in Armenia.
The opening session featured inaugural speeches by Dr. Ismail Serageldin; Director of the Library of Alexandria, Dr. Armen Melkonian; Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Egypt, and Dr. Geoffrey Roper; Bibliographical Consultant, Historian and Editor of Index Islamicus and of the World Survey of Islamic Manuscripts.
In his inaugural speech, Serageldin highlighted the significance of the Fourth International Symposium of History and Publishing in the Languages and Countries of the Middle East to scientists and researchers, and to the promotion of knowledge and expertise in the field of Arabic printing and publishing. The Symposium is also intended primarily to shed lights on the value of studying the history of printing and publishing.
Armen Melkonian expressed his gratitude to the BA for hosting such an event, which emphasizes the strong historical bond and cultural collaboration between Armenia and Egypt.
In his speech, Dr. Geoffrey Roper encouraged the study of the history of printing and publishing as opposed to that of manuscripts, since printing is one of the most important aspects of the history of publishing.
Following the opening session, participants inaugurated an exhibition for digital Arab Calligraphy, and another for ancient Armenian publishing.
You can view the complete seminar in English via the BA Webcast Service on the following link.