The initiative carries broader educational goals, notably aiming to revive the legacy of Andalusia’s historic Madrasa Yusufiyya.
Qatar Foundation (QF) has launched the Tamim Bin Hamad Chair for Arabic Language and Andalusian Culture as part of Qatar and Spain’s efforts to foster academic and cultural exchange.
The academic Chair, launched on Wednesday, is led by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the University of Granada.
The official signing ceremony for the initiative took place in September 2025, attended by Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) President Dr Ahmad Hasnah and Rector of the University of Granada Pedro Mercado Pacheco.
“This collaboration reflects the deep historical and cultural ties connecting the Arab world and Andalusia, where Arabs and Muslims played a distinguished role in human civilisation. It will also broaden the horizons of research and knowledge exchange in the fields of language and culture,” Dr Hasnah said in a press release.
The initiative also carries broader educational goals, including reviving the legacy of Andalusia’s Madrasa Yusufiyya, which was established in 1349 and became one of Granada’s most significant institutions.
The facility became a key witness to the prosperity of Arabic and Islamic studies, serving as a hub for knowledge and research across a range of disciplines, including jurisprudence, medicine, and astronomy.
Key figures who emerged from the institution included the Arab Andalusian polymath Ibn Al-Khatib, whose poems now adorn the palace of Alhambra in Granada.
Professor Jose Miguel Puerta Vilchez, Arabist and Professor of Art History at the University of Granada, described the Chair as “an honour for the university and the entire Spanish community”.
“It represents an exceptional opportunity to strengthen academic and cultural relations between Qatari and Spanish scholars and students, while celebrating the shared Arab-Andalusian spirit and fostering creativity and friendship among nations,” he added.
Qatar, through QF, has led numerous initiatives to promote the Arabic language and the region’s culture both locally and globally through various collaborations. The Chair is expected to pave the way for research into Granada’s arts as well as its scientific and cultural history.
Seminars, lectures and exhibitions on Andalusian heritage will also be held under the initiative, according to HBKU.
Dr Ibrahim Zein, Professor of Islamic Studies and History of Religion at HBKU’s College of Islamic Studies, said the Chair “also opens new horizons for intellectual dialogue between the Arab World and Europe”.
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