Photo Credit:WAM
The American University of Sharjah (AUS) has partnered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to establish the world’s only UNESCO Chair dedicated to Arabic Language, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Heritage.
The agreement, signed under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President and Chairperson of the AUS Board of Trustees, marks a significant step towards preserving Arabic cultural and linguistic heritage through advanced technologies.
The new UNESCO Chair will focus on combining artificial intelligence, digital humanities and academic research to protect Arabic heritage, improve access to historical resources and support the development of digital skills across the region.
Preserving Arabic Heritage Through Digital Innovation
The initiative aims to safeguard Arabic language and cultural traditions by collecting, digitising and preserving historical materials, including endangered Arabic dialects. Advanced digital technologies and multilingual metadata systems will help make these resources more accessible to researchers, students and the wider public.
Dr. Tod A. Laursen, Chancellor of AUS, highlighted the importance of protecting Arabic’s cultural legacy in an increasingly digital world.
“Arabic carries the memory of a region, its ideas, its poetry and its everyday voices,” he said.
He explained that undocumented dialects and undigitised archives risk becoming inaccessible to future generations. By integrating Arabic scholarship with responsible AI applications, the new Chair will create opportunities to preserve and share Arab linguistic and cultural heritage on a broader scale.
The initiative also reflects Sharjah’s longstanding commitment to education, cultural preservation and knowledge development.
Advancing Arabic Language Research and Artificial Intelligence
A major priority of the UNESCO Chair will be promoting interdisciplinary research that connects Arabic studies with AI, machine learning and digital humanities.
Researchers will work on developing scholarly publications, open-access digital resources and innovative approaches to understanding contemporary issues affecting Arab societies.
Irakli Khodeli, Chief of UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations (MOST) and Foresight Section, emphasised the growing importance of language in shaping technological development.
He noted that rapid advances in artificial intelligence, particularly large language models, are transforming how societies communicate and access information.
With more than 500 million people using Arabic daily, Khodeli stressed the importance of ensuring that Arabic-speaking communities benefit from emerging technologies.
The initiative supports UNESCO’s Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Programme for the Arabic Language, which seeks to strengthen Arabic’s international role in culture, science and innovation.
Building Digital Skills and International Partnerships
Beyond academic research, the UNESCO Chair will establish a regional training platform offering workshops, professional certification programmes and development opportunities.
These programmes will support early-career researchers, media professionals and cultural practitioners seeking practical skills in digital heritage preservation and emerging technologies.
The Chair will also encourage international cooperation through joint digital projects involving educational and cultural institutions across the Arab States, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
Youth engagement and community participation will form another important part of the initiative, with digital storytelling and heritage programmes designed to connect younger generations with Arabic cultural traditions.
Collaboration with UNESCO Chairs and the University Twinning and Networking Programme (UNITWIN) will further strengthen knowledge sharing and research partnerships.
Strengthening Sharjah’s Position as a Cultural and Academic Hub
The new Chair will build on AUS’s existing academic expertise in Arabic language, literature, history and cultural studies.
It will work closely with the university’s Center for Arab Studies and Islamic Civilisations, which promotes research into the cultural, historical and artistic traditions of Arab and Islamic societies.
Faculty members from the Department of Arabic and Translation Studies will also contribute expertise in linguistics, literature, translation, interpretation, Islamic studies and Arabic language education.
Through these combined efforts, AUS aims to expand digital access to Arabic heritage, encourage responsible AI innovation and strengthen Sharjah’s role as a regional centre for cultural preservation, academic research and technological advancement.
