The event is part of the university’s work to encourage intellectual and cultural dialogue. It addressed current questions of identity, language, and heritage, and considered how societies can preserve their cultural distinctiveness during a period of rapid global change.

The conversation examined counter-globalization as an approach that seeks to restore the standing of distinct cultures and local identities without withdrawing from the world or turning away from engagement with other cultures.

Sheikha Al Yazia stressed that the cultural life people experience in the real world should be broader and deeper than the one they experience online. She added that values drawn from faith and identity should serve as the compass that guides a thoughtful and constructive use of digital platforms.

She encouraged the audience to rediscover Arab culture and its deep roots. “Genuine understanding between people begins with knowing ourselves,” she said. “We cannot truly come to know others until we recognize the richness of our own cultural heritage. Culture does not wait for anyone to protect it. It is our commitment to it, and to living by its values, that protects us and gives us the confidence to engage openly with the world and move forward.”

The program also included an open exchange with the audience. Attendees raised questions and offered their views on the future of cultural identity and on the responsibility of educational and cultural institutions to strengthen the place of the Arabic language and heritage among younger generations.

At the close of the session, Sheikha Al Yazia bint Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan presented the University Library with a historic copy of the Holy Quran and a 1907 edition of Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani’s biographical dictionary of the Companions of the Prophet, issued by the Khedivial Library. The gift adds to the library’s cultural

holdings and reflects the importance of preserving historical and scholarly records and making them available to future generations.

The session reflects the commitment of Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities to enriching cultural life, building academic and cultural partnerships, and creating spaces for dialogue that deepen awareness of national and cultural identity. It also affirms the university’s view that openness to the world and the preservation of cultural distinctiveness are complementary paths toward a renewed cultural future.

The event is part of the university’s work to encourage intellectual and cultural dialogue. It addressed current questions of identity, language, and heritage, and considered how societies can preserve their cultural distinctiveness during a period of rapid global change.

The conversation examined counter-globalization as an approach that seeks to restore the standing of distinct cultures and local identities without withdrawing from the world or turning away from engagement with other cultures.

Sheikha Al Yazia stressed that the cultural life people experience in the real world should be broader and deeper than the one they experience online. She added that values drawn from faith and identity should serve as the compass that guides a thoughtful and constructive use of digital platforms.

She encouraged the audience to rediscover Arab culture and its deep roots. “Genuine understanding between people begins with knowing ourselves,” she said. “We cannot truly come to know others until we recognize the richness of our own cultural heritage. Culture does not wait for anyone to protect it. It is our commitment to it, and to living by its values, that protects us and gives us the confidence to engage openly with the world and move forward.”

The program also included an open exchange with the audience. Attendees raised questions and offered their views on the future of cultural identity and on the responsibility of educational and cultural institutions to strengthen the place of the Arabic language and heritage among younger generations.

At the close of the session, Sheikha Al Yazia bint Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan presented the University Library with a historic copy of the Holy Quran and a 1907 edition of Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani’s biographical dictionary of the Companions of the Prophet, issued by the Khedivial Library. The gift adds to the library’s cultural

holdings and reflects the importance of preserving historical and scholarly records and making them available to future generations.

The session reflects the commitment of Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities to enriching cultural life, building academic and cultural partnerships, and creating spaces for dialogue that deepen awareness of national and cultural identity. It also affirms the university’s view that openness to the world and the preservation of cultural distinctiveness are complementary paths toward a renewed cultural future.