Although the inventory, preservation, study, investigation and indexing of the original manuscripts are important indicators of the honest performance of interest in this immortal heritage of Arab Islamic civilization in its various fields, the digitization of Arabic manuscripts has become an important issue requiring more attention as the institutions interested in manuscripts open up to each other in the light of the diverse artistic and scientific potential of modern computing that benefits the Arabic manuscript, including the digitization of Arabic-Islamic manuscripts, in a way that is similar to a knowledge identity pointing to the manuscript by means of a unified or semi-unified scientific number, wherever it is located and preserved, as every manuscript cupboard is obsessed with what it contains almost without seeking the backup of manuscripts from fires and vicissitudes of time.
As the House of Islamic Manuscripts is located in Al Qasimia University, we hope for this first international conference held by the University itself on the subject of digitizing Arabic and Islamic manuscripts to open horizons among manuscript coffers to be assured that they are kept safe, and to learn about the changing concepts of digitizing manuscripts and their development. This is to converge the different visions in a modern, developed version of this concept, taking advantage of the different practices of global centers in this field in the United Arab Emirates and other countries of the world after the preparation of manuscript data has become available with advanced computer tools, which include modern scientific archiving of manuscripts.
The correct scientific digitization of manuscripts is an important step in investigating copies of a single manuscript, comparing them, and following up on its history. It is also an important step in coordinating scientific efforts when embarking on the investigation of some manuscripts. This is in order for efforts to continue on mature scientific visions, and do not intersect, or stumble. The realization of manuscript is a revival of it and its role in knowledge and civilization.
We are aware that digitization systems and standards vary between manuscript centers and houses. However, we also realize that meeting of these experiences in one international scientific conference will help reduce the digital knowledge gap between them after looking at all the pioneering global experiences in this field.
The conference will be held in a flexible and hybrid manner, combining face-to-face participation from the halls of the conference inside Al Qasimia University with computerized remote participation using online communication techniques through smart applications. This is to make it a global and scientific community, rising from Sharjah with the latest developments in the digitization of original manuscripts reached by the participants including successful practices and promising horizons.
Located in the Emirate of Sharjah, Al Qasimia University welcomes all scholars, experts and researchers interested in this subject. They would all be dear guests of Sharjah, the city of science and culture, and the international capital of books, and they would enjoy an academic program that includes various cultural, social and tourist activities in the United Arab Emirates.
We are waiting for you with great pleasure in the premises of Al Qasimia University on March 22, 2022
