An Open Day of the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies at the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology (FCMP) was held at the Center for Oriental Languages and Cultures (COLC). The event was organized on the eve and on the occasion of World Arabic Language Day (2025), which is celebrated annually on 18 December at the initiative of UNESCO. The guests included faculty members, under- and post-graduate students not only from the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies, but also from other programs in Sofia University, as well as Arab ambassadors, representatives of the diplomatic corps, and leading Bulgarian diplomats.
The event was opened by the Head of the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies Professor Simeon Evstatiev, who outlined the concept of the initiative in the context of World Arabic Language Day. He emphasized the role of the Department, which for more than five decades has served as a leading hub for the study of the Arabic language and the societies and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. The Head of the Department showcased the work of students and faculty highlighting some major aspects of their international activities. Professor Evstatiev announced that this event also marks the launch of an initiative to establish a Fund for Supporting Arabic Studies and the Study of the Middle East and North Africa at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.
Professor Gergana Petkova, Dean of the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology, addressed the audience, emphasizing that the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies is the principal academic unit for the training of specialists in the Arabic language and experts on the Middle East and North Africa not only in Bulgaria, but also in Southeastern Europe.
Professor Petkova noted that “this is due not only to the Department’s significant achievements in teaching, but also to the fact that it is now internationally recognized in the field of scientific research.” The Dean expressed her satisfaction with the presence of almost all heads of Arab diplomatic missions in Sofia, underscoring that the ties with them and their support play an important role in intercultural communication.
An address on behalf of the heads of the Arab diplomatic missions was delivered by H.E. Mrs. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Republic of Bulgaria. According to Mrs. El Midaoui, the activities of the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies are of an exceptionally high international standard, as evidenced both by its scholarly output and by the professional achievements of the specialists trained in its programs. She also expressed her special support for the announced establishment of a Fund for Supporting Arabic Studies and the Study of the Middle East and North Africa at Sofia University’s Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology.
Among the distinguished guests of the event were H.E. Mrs. Asma Babouche, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Algeria; H.E. Mr. Abu Baker A. Saeed Saleh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Libya; H.E. Mr. Ghazi Hamed Alfadhli, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kuwait; H.E. Mrs. Rihab Abou Zein, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lebanon; H.E. Dr. Rami bin Saud Al-Otaibi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Saudi Arabia; H.E. Mr. Ahmed Ali Shammer, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Yemen; Mr. Haider Alburiahi, Chargé d’Affaires of Iraq; Mr. Mohamedassem Kordi, Chargé d’Affaires of the State of Palestine; and Mr. Jamal Najib, Chargé d’Affaires of Syria.
In the first part of the program, Professor Simeon Evstatiev and his doctoral student Ms. Darina Katsarska presented the department in Arabic, placing particular emphasis on its history, the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs it offers, as well as various aspects of its international activities.
The program then continued with announcing the annual scholarships and awards for students of Arabic Studies, granted by the Dale F. and Christine Eickelman Fund for Arabic and Islamic Studies at Sofia University and by the Professor Tsvetan Theophanov Foundation. The 2025 award recipients are:
- Nazek Mohsen, third-year student in the Bachelor’s Program in Arabic Studies – recipient of the Dale and Christine Eickelman Annual Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement (in the amount of BGN 1,500). This highly prestigious award established in 2022 with a donation by Professor Dale F. Eickelman and Christine Eickelman makes Sofia University’s Arabic and Islamic Studies interconnected with such international hubs for the study of Arabic, the Middle East and North Africa as McGill University.
- Hristin Pavlova, third-year student in the Bachelor’s Program in Arabic Studies – recipient of the Annual Award of the Professor Tsvetan Theophanov Foundation for achievements in the study of the Arabic language and related disciplines (in the amount of BGN 2,000). Given the high standing of Professor Tsvetan Theophanov and his contribution for shaping Arabic and Islamic Studies in Bulgaria, this award has already been established in the last six years as a prestigious academic distinction.
In the second part of the event, students remained at the center of attention through their cultural program featuring Arabic poetry and music. This part of the program was hosted by Mikaela Gancheva and Teodor Botev, second-year students in the Arabic Studies Program.
The third part of the Open Day featured an academic lecture delivered in English (with examples also provided in Arabic) by Professor Mohamed El Mouden of the University of Cádiz (Spain), currently a Visiting Scholar at the Sofia University’s Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies. Professor El Mouden presented the topic “The Third Space in the Arabic Language,” which sparked strong interest and lively discussion among the audience.
The fourth and concluding part of the event was dedicated to the presentation of Volume II of The Abode of Islam by Professor Yordan Peev (published in 2025). The book launch was organized jointly with East–West Publishing House and the Sofia University Center for the Study of Religions. In addition to the author, Professor Simeon Evstatiev and Professor Pavel Pavlovich spoke as representatives of the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies, emphasizing the encyclopedic scope of Professor Peev’s scholarship. In turn, the Director of the Center for Oriental Languages and Cultures, Professor Milena Bratoeva, shared her reflections on Professor Yordan Peev’s work and contribution as one of the founders of Oriental Studies as a university academic field in Bulgaria.
Here, you can download the program of the event.
