Arabic Studies in Romania: Beginnings and Evolutions

Abstract

This study tackles the beginnings and evolutions of the Arabic studies in Romania which were officially and institutionally launched in the sixth decade of the twentieth century. With the consideration that Arabic in Romania is one of the languages whose study starts at the level of absolute beginners because it is not taught in Romanian schools below the university level. Alongside the Department of Arabic language, there is also the Center for Arab Studies of the University of Bucharest, inaugurated in the nineties, which provides the framework for activities that play a great role in the development of Arab studies in Romania, such as holding national and international conferences and publishing the Romano-Arabica yearly journal, which dedicates each one of its issues to a specific topic pertaining to the Arabic language and literature, hosting articles written by Romanian and foreign Arabicists and being distributed to many universities and libraries in Europe, the Arab world and the United States.