The 8th International Colloquium for the History of Science Reveals the Untrodden Areas in the History of Arabic Science

The 8th International Colloquium for the History of Science was held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina under the theme of "Untrodden Areas in the History of Arabic Science". The event, jointly organized by the Manuscript Center and the Institute for the History of Arabic Science, (Aleppo University, Syria) was intended to emphasize the Arab-Arab cooperation in the field of heritage, being an essential component of the Arabic culture. This was maintained during the opening session by Dr Youssef Ziedan, who stated that the purpose of the Colloquium is to highlight the unknown aspects of our scientific legacy, whose majority has not been revealed yet despite its richness, continuity through time and profound impact upon the human intellectual experience. In his address, Dr Alaa Lolah accentuated the importance of the role of Arabic cultural and scientific heritage in enriching and developing human civilization. He called for the preservation and re-adaptation of its useful output. Moreover, he proposed the establishment of a joint endeavor to coordinate the efforts made in the compilation and revival of Arabic scientific heritage, employing state-of-the-art techniques and establishing academic standards for its critical study, as well as supporting the Institute for the History of Arabic Science and parallel bodies, to which he expressed a profound vote of gratitude in his conclusion.

Dynamic scholarly sessions took place during the two days of the Colloquium and resulted in around forty specialized presentations in various fields of science shedding light on the unknown and neglected areas in Arabic heritage. Eminent Arab and international figures were present at this academic gathering: Prof. Abdel-Hamid Sabra, Dr Mohamed Taha El-Jasser, and Prof. Gotthard Strohmaier, to name but few. The Colloquium agenda also included cultural and social activities.