Albabtain Chairs for Arabic Culture in the World
The poet Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain believed in the necessity of encouraging the teaching of the Arabic language and spreading its literature and culture in European countries. He established the aforementioned courses, which were developed into cultural chairs in various universities.
Each chair offers Arabic language courses for non-native speakers throughout the academic year, culminating in obtaining a certificate in the first level of Arabic language proficiency. It is worth noting that obtaining three certificates enables Arabic language learners to attain the final certificate in Arabic language proficiency, with the third certificate being the final one.
The chair also offers monthly lectures that focus on the influence of Arab culture on the culture of the host country where the chair is established.
These Chairs are:
1- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Cordoba (Spain) was established through an agreement signed in 2004.
2- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Granada (Spain) was established through an agreement signed in 2007.
3- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Malaga (Spain) was established through an agreement signed in 2008.
4- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Seville (Spain) was established through an agreement signed in 2009.
5- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Nice (France) was established through an agreement signed in 2010.
6- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Rome III (Italy) was established through an agreement signed in 2013.
7- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at Beijing University (China) was established through an agreement signed in 2015.
8- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain-Laudian Chair for Arabic Language at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom) was officially named in honor of the poet Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain in 2016. This recognition was a tribute to his generous donation towards this prestigious chair, which was originally established by William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury and former President of the University of Oxford, in 1636.
9- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Chinguetti (Mauritania) was established through an agreement signed in 2016.
10- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at Mogadishu University (Somalia) was established through an agreement signed in 2016.
11- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Palermo (Italy) was established through an agreement signed in 2016 after a meeting between the poet Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain, the Mayor of Palermo Leoluca Orlando, and the President of the University.
12- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at the University of Sinnar (Sudan) was established through an agreement signed in 2016.
13- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at Kara University (Togo) was established through an agreement signed in 2017.
14- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Chair for Arab Culture at N'Djamena University (Chad) was established through an agreement signed in 2017.
15- Aboul-Qacem Echebbi Chair for Poetry was established in collaboration with the Presidency of the Republic of Tunisia and under the patronage of the late President of Tunisia, Beji Caid Essebsi. It was officially opened in the City of Culture in Tunis on June 29, 2018, in the presence of President Essebsi, the Tunisian Minister of Culture, members of the Tunisian-Kuwaiti Cooperation Council, diplomats, intellectuals, and poets.
16- The Master's Program in Contemporary Arab Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain) was established through an agreement signed on July 19, 2016. The Foundation signed an academic cooperation agreement with the Autonomous University of Barcelona to support the Master's Program in Contemporary Arab Studies, the first of its kind in European universities. The program is unique in Europe as it solely uses Arabic as the language of instruction for "Master's in Contemporary Arab Studies," catering to Spanish and European students interested in conducting research on Arab culture.
17- Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Professorship for Arab Culture at Leiden University (Netherlands) was established through an agreement signed in 2017.