An Egyptian professor and a Portuguese author will each receive this
year's Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced today.
Professor Gaber Asfour and the writer Adalberto Alves were chosen on
the recommendation of an international jury that considered 33
candidates presented by 20 countries, according to a press release
issued by UNESCO.
Dr. Asfour, who teaches at several Arab, European and United States
universities and is the current head of the National Translation
Foundation in Cairo, plays a key role in disseminating Arab culture
around the world, UNESCO noted.
"His highly original literary criticism has gained international
recognition," the agency
<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=43606&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">said.
"A champion of intercultural dialogue, he has promoted values such as
women's rights, respect for others, creative diversity and tolerance."
Mr. Alves, who heads the Centre for Luso-Arab Studies of Silves,
Portugal, is now working on a dictionary of Portuguese words of Arab
origin. He also heads a committee that helped create the Foundation of
Arab Memory, served as vice-president of the Portuguese-Arab
Cooperation Institute and was a member of the board of directors of
the Portuguese Foundation of Arab-Islamic Heritage.
"His work has inspired many Portuguese and Spanish writers and has
contributed to the dissemination of the history of Arab culture of
Portugal's Muslim era [the Gharb al-Andalus]," UNESCO said.
A monetary prize of $30,000 each and the awards will be presented to
the two laureates in a ceremony at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris on
17 November.
The Sharjah Prize was created by the Executive Board of UNESCO with
funds provided by the Sharjah Government in the United Arab Emirates
in 1998 to honour individuals or groups that have contributed in a
significant way to the development, dissemination and promotion of
Arab culture in the world, as well as to the preservation of Arab
cultural heritage.
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