On Thursday, June 5, 2025, the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the School of Humanities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The MoU was signed by HRH Princess Maha bint Mohammed AlFaisal, Secretary-General of KFCRIS, and Professor Wu Jun, Dean of the School of Humanities.

The MoU aims to support research collaboration between the UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures, supported by the Literature, Publishing & Translation Commission, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University through participation in seminars and workshops at both institutions, co-publication of research and academic outputs, exchange of scholars and specialists through the Chair’s fellowship program, and joint applications for doctoral research grants.

This partnership also enhances the outcomes of the Chair theme titled "Beyond the River and Across the Seven Seas: Translating Sino-Arab Cultural Encounters." Among these outcomes is the translation of the book The Cultural Turn in Translation Studies by Professor Wang Ning, a renowned scholar in cultural studies and translation theory at the same university, from Chinese into Arabic. This highlights the significance of Arab-Chinese cultural relations, noting that Chinese is one of the Chair’s strategic languages.