QU’s College of Arts and Sciences Announces a Short Story Competition on Environmental Sustainability

Launched by the Department of Arabic Language at the College of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with the Culture and Arts Branch of the QU Alumni Association

The Arabic Language Department at Qatar University's (QU) College of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with the Culture and Arts Chapter in QU Alumni Association, and under the patronage of Al-Rawnaq Company, are pleased to announce the launch of a short story competition under the theme 'Towards a Green Environment Full of Life.' This competition is open to all QU male and female students, in lieu of the International Horticultural Expo Qatar 2023.
The aim of this competition is to discover the literary talents and creative abilities of the students and to draw attention to environmental and sustainability issues.

Commenting on the launch of the competition, Dr. Seeta Al-Athba, Head of The Arabic Language Department at QU's College of Arts and Sciences, stated, "This annual competition aligns with important events in Qatar. The previous edition was themed around the FIFA World Cup 2022, and this year it coincides with the International Horticultural Expo Qatar 2023. It aims to discover and contribute to shaping a distinct awareness among students about the importance of preserving the environment and making it green and full of life."

Dr. Al-Athba added, "Additionally, it contributes to the literary history of this international event because what literature preserves endures throughout history. While history records events in a direct and explicit language, literature portrays and preserves them in a literary language with an ethical, moral, and human dimension, making it an important subject for linguistic and literary studies, modern literary and critical trends, including environmental criticism, and its branches."

She continued, "It also aims to discover literary talents, refine them, and foster their growth through workshops and various courses organized by the department, yielding results in competitions like this that create an atmosphere of positive competition among students. Each participant is eager to offer their best, thus enhancing their creative writing skills, especially in the formal and creative Arabic language, which contributes to the implementation of the law protecting the Arabic language in writing and performance."

Amna Abdulkarim, Vice-President of the Culture and Arts Chapter in QU Alumni Association, stated, "The Culture and Arts Chapter's participation in launching this competition, in collaboration with The Arabic Language Department, reflects our commitment to uplifting the cultural scene at the university and offering beneficial and enjoyable various literary arts. Moreover, this collaboration provides bridges of communication between the alumni and the university students, maintaining strong ties and hosting numerous meetings with various benefits. It is expected that the competition will witness a high level of interest among the students and intense competition among them, resulting in the presentation of literary stories that enrich a new literary trend called environmental literature."

Mohammed Ali Al-Sallabi, representative of Al-Rawnaq Company, the sponsor of the competition, stated, "We are keen on Al-Rawnaq Company's participation in university and cultural activities that serve the university community and the Arabic culture and encourage positive competition as it aligns with our objectives, which aim to provide everything necessary for knowledge, culture, university, and school studies."