Transfer

The department of Arabic studies collaborates with various institutes and organizations in Germany and abroad, for example the UEAI (Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants).This European association of scientists involved in Arab and Islamic studies research is a lively network that, in addition to individual academic exchange, also strengthens the transfer between countries, cities, Universities and non-university institutions.

There is a lively exchange of students, teachers and science-supporting areas with the partner Universities Mohammed V. in Rabat/Morocco and Ahmed Ben Bella I. in Oran/Algeria. Students from Morocco and Algeria have been spending the summer semester in Bamberg since 2020 and are involved in a variety of courses and activities. This in turn results in return visits from Bamberg students and teachers as well as further collaborations, especially in research and practice in the field of foreign language training. This collaboration is supported by the Erasmus+ program.

Erasmus lectureships regularly enrich the Arabic studies curriculum. In recent semesters, for example, Cristina Dozio from the University of Milan and Dr. Fouad Amraoui from the University of Rabat were involved in teaching in Bamberg and presented their research projects and their practical professional experiences outside of the University.

The professorship was able to attract a visiting professorship in diversity from the University's own program twice in a row. In 2022 we were able to welcome Prof. Dr. Antonella Ghersetti from the University of Venice was invited to a research stay in Bamberg dedicated to her work on linguistic diversity in classical Arabic texts. In 2023, Dr. Noran Amin from Cairo University presented her research and was involved in teaching with a focus on graphic novels and self-dramatization in modern Egyptian literature.

In the field of Arabic as a Foreign Language, the department of Arabic Studies works closely with other Universities and extramural institutions. For instance, the department is significantly engaged in the introduction of Arabic language as a school subject. The team at the Professorship for Arabic Studies regularly offers advanced training courses on the subject areas of “Arabic in School”, “Cultural Education and Language Training using the Example of Arabic” and “Intercultural Education in Foreign Language Teaching” at the Academy for Teacher Training and Personnel Management (ALP) in Dillingen. Moreover, two conferences have already been held at the Otto Friedrich University in cooperation with the Association of teaching Arabic in German speaking countries (Fachverband Arabisch e.V.), which was founded in Bamberg. In 2018, a conference on the topic of “Arabic as a foreign language in German-speaking countries” took place, and in 2019 a conference on the topic of “Competence orientation in German-speaking countries”.

Furthermore, the Bavarian Orient-Colloquium of the Universities of Erlangen-Nuremberg and Bamberg takes place every summer semester in Bamberg. The current program of the Orient colloquium can be found here.