The Sharjah International Foundation for the History of Arab and Muslim Sciences (SIFHAMS), represented by its Director, Professor Dr. Mesut Idriz, and Professor Dr. Andreas Eckart, member of the International Scientific and Advisory Board, conducted an official visit to the School of Arabic Studies (Escuela de Estudios Árabes, EEA), a research institute affiliated with the Spanish National Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC), an autonomous public research organization under Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation.
During the visit, Professor Dr. Mesut Idriz and Professor Dr. Andreas Eckart were formally received and provided with a guided tour of the School of Arabic Studies. The visit included an overview of the institute’s research units, as well as its distinguished library, which preserves a rich collection of Islamic manuscripts and rare publications.
Dr. Montserrat Benítez Fernández, Deputy Director of the EEA, together with her colleagues, delivered presentations outlining the institute’s key research areas, ongoing projects, and future academic directions. Professor Dr. Mesut Idriz presented an overview of SIFHAMS, highlighting its history, mission, strategic objectives, international engagements, and future outlook.
He emphasized that the Foundation’s strategic vision prioritizes research and scholarly publication in fields related to the history of Arab and Muslim sciences. The visit concluded with an open academic discussion, during which both parties expressed strong interest in developing collaborative research initiatives and organizing joint international scholarly events. These prospective activities aim to explore the history of Arab and Muslim contributions in Al-Andalus and its surrounding regions, as well as the broader scientific heritage of Andalusia and its intellectual connections between the East and the West.
Among the proposed research themes were:
-The history of Qur’anic textual transmission and Arabic–Spanish translations
-Studies in the history of science and intellectual traditions of the Arab-Islamic world
-Linguistic studies of non-standard features in written and oral sources from Al-Andalus and the Arabic West
-Epigraphic research in Granada
-Historiography of the Mediterranean region
-Transmission of knowledge in Al-Andalus and its influence on the Muslim East
-Scholarly networks and academic traditions of Al-Andalus
-Architectural and archaeological heritage of Al-Andalus
At the end of the visit, Dr. Montserrat Benítez Fernández expressed her appreciation to Professor Mesut Idriz and Professor Andreas Eckart for their visit, highlighting the strong prospects for future collaboration between SIFHAMS (University of Sharjah) and the School of Arabic Studies (EEA).
