1 week Ago By Qatar Tribune
Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha The inaugural edition of the International Conference on Orientalism–Doha concluded on Sunday, bringing together a distinguished gathering of intellectuals, researchers, and specialists in Orientalism and Occidentalism from around the world. The event was organised by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) and Qatar Debate Center, in partnership with the Permanent Committee for Organising Conferences at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference witnessed remarkable participation, with over 1,300 attendees actively engaging in discussions throughout the two-day programme.
HE Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, Chair of the International Conference on Orientalism and Minister of Education and Higher Education, emphasised that the conference’s vision was to create a safe space for deep and serious intellectual dialogue, free of sensitivities. She highlighted the importance of moving beyond the adversarial framing of East versus West, deconstructing this binary, and exploring the human experience through various civilisational dimensions. In doing so, the conference aimed to transcend the frameworks established by Edward Said and post-colonial studies in its approach to Orientalism.
The event featured the participation of more than 300 researchers representing 50 countries, alongside prominent figures such as Turkish politician and professor of Islamic thought Dr İbrahim Kalın, Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salamé, Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr Mamadou Tangara, Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Prof Dr Tarek Mitri, and a distinguished cohort of leading intellectuals and academics. Seeking to enrich the intellectual landscape surrounding Orientalism, the conference re-examined and analysed the concept through a contemporary lens — viewing it not as an obsolete academic pursuit, but as a living intellectual framework that continues to hold relevance today in new and evolving forms. Discussions focused on fostering dialogue between civilisations, deconstructing prevailing stereotypes, and addressing challenging questions, with the aim of shifting Orientalism away from ideological tensions and biases towards the realm of rigorous academic research and critical reflection.
Qatar’s hosting of this conference reflects its pioneering efforts to promote cultural and civilisational dialogue among the peoples of the world. It reaffirms Qatar’s role as a global beacon of thought, culture, and education, and as a bridge fostering communication between cultures and nations — at a historic moment when humanity is in urgent need of building bridges of understanding and cooperation. The conference was organised in collaboration with a comprehensive academic consortium that includes Qatar University, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, along with internationally renowned institutions such as Leiden University in the Netherlands, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Sarajevo, and Dagestan State University.
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