São Paulo – The Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and the Institute of Arab Culture (Icarabe) are establishing this week the Edward Said Chair of Post-Colonial Studies of the Unifesp. The launching ceremony will be on Tuesday (22nd) and Wednesday (23rd).
“The chair is a way to gather people from different disciplines to study the topic,” explains Soraya Smaili, dean of Unifesp. According to her, the post-colonialism studies involve many disciplines and the chair, associated to the university, will involve professors, researchers and students from different courses in the post-graduate program of the university.
According to the dean, the theme of the chair is closely linked to the work done by Edward Said. The Palestinian intellectual, says Smaili, was also known as “king of post-colonialism.” Said died in September 2003. “He described exile and alterity,” points out the professor. She explains that gender issues, such as the ones involving women’s role and its anthropologic context are influenced by post-colonialism, as are the issues related to displacement and refugees.
The chair will initially involve the delivery of seminars and later on, research projects, courses and a specialization program. From the start, the chair will involve professor from different areas of Unifesp, such as Philosophy, History, Art History, Social Sciences, Political Science, Foreign Affairs, Economy, Social Service and Languages.
Smaili also highlights that the chair’s studies will include the history of the Arab world. “The Arab world is a product of post-colonialism,” she points out. According to the dean, the participation of the Icarabe will enable the Unifesp’s chair studies to be taken closer to society. The launching event is also part of the 10-year anniversary celebration of Icarabe.
Launching
The launching of the Edward Said Chair will start on Tuesday (22nd) with the screening of the movie Knowledge is the Beginning, which tells the story of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, created by Said in a partnership with Argentinian Jewish musician Daniel Baremboim. After the screening, there will be a roundtable with the participation of Mariam Said, the Palestinian intellectual’s widow.
“She will speak about Said’s life and the steps which were important in the creation of the orchestra. Afterwards, we will sign the decree for the launching of the chair and she will receive homage,” reveals Smaili. The dean also says that Mariam will follow up on the workings of the chair, and, in the future, there are plans to bring the orchestra to perform in Brazil.
The second day of the launching will be Wednesday. One of the highlights is the lecture of Argentinian professor Saad Chedid, director of the Palestinian Studies Chair at the University of Buenos Aires.
Smaili also reveals that she plans to expand the operations of the chair. “The idea is that, in a second phase, we will be able to invite researchers from other universities,” she adds.
Service
Launching of the Edward Said Chair of Post-Colonial Studies
July 22nd
Edward Said: A contemporary author
2pm – Screening of the film “Knowledge is the Beginning”
4pm – Solo of Arab music presentation and homage to Edward Said and his multicultural legacy
4.45pm – Table 1: Edward Said : legacy of a contemporary author
Lecturer: Mariam Said – President of the Barenboim-Said Foundation
Debater : Milton Hatoum
Mediator: Francisco Miraglia
Place: Amphitheater – Rectory Building – Rua Sena Madureira, 1500 – Ground floor
July 23rd
Edward Said: Post-colonial studies
4pm – Table 2: Post-colonial studies: a chair for the Brazilian University
Lecturer: Saad Chedid and José Arbex Jr.
Mediator: Geraldo Campos
Place: Amphitheater – Rectory Building – Rua Sena Madureira, 1500 – Ground floor
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
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