On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) held the launch ceremony for the UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures. The launch ceremony began with welcome remarks delivered by Dr. Abdullah Hamidaddin, Assistant Secretary-General for Scientific Affairs at KFCRIS, and a speech given by Dr. Mohammed Alwan, the CEO of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission. These were followed by an address from Dr. Moneera Al-Ghadeer, Director of the UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures. 

The launch ceremony featured two keynote lectures. Dr. Abdel Salam Bin Abdel Ali, a prominent Moroccan thinker at Mohammed V University, delivered the first lecture titled “Translating Arab Culture into European Languages." Professor Charles Forsdick, a leading scholar of translation and Francophone studies at the University of Cambridge, presented the second address titled "Translating Cultures: Past, Present, Future." The KFCRIS has established the UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures with the support of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission in order to meet the growing need for specialized research in the humanities and social sciences, especially in relation to comprehensive education and cultural diversity.