00:00What the Doha Book Fair brings to us is the visitors and we get the chance to know about
00:08our audience more, get to know what do they like to read, what kind of activities they'd
00:13like to associate and engage with. We have a big number of French community. For those who don't
00:19know the French culture, they can also come to the Institute to discover the language also.
00:25Hello and welcome to Qatar 365 with me, Laila Humaira. On this episode, we're here at the
00:35Doha International Book Fair, where every year thousands of visitors come to seek knowledge,
00:41share their love for books and dive into the beauty of the written word. But first,
00:46I'm exploring how technology and artificial intelligence is becoming a real page-turner
00:51for libraries. The Qatar National Library is a veteran participant of the Doha International
00:58Book Fair. This year, the pavilion has returned with a few new spins that reimagine a future-ready
01:05library. From a virtual librarian to augmented reality, Qatar National Library is embracing
01:11technology. By tapping on artificial intelligence, Q&L is giving visitors a peek into its Library
01:17of the Future, where AI can give you book recommendations and even help you write your own novel.
01:24We also have the 360 virtual tour, which gives the visitors the opportunity to wander inside Q&L
01:33and check out all of our facilities and services inside the building itself. In addition to that,
01:38we have also the AI book recommendation tool, which gives the visitors the opportunity to explore
01:44book recommendations recommended by the AI itself. Walking around the pavilion, the theme comes to life,
01:51where it's not just about books, but also encouraging people to get their creative juices flowing,
01:57like the short story dispenser. It was done under an initiative called Write to Inspire,
02:03and we have opened this initiative to everyone in Qatar to submit their short stories. And we have
02:09supported many writers who are at the beginning of their journey to either publish their stories in Arabic
02:14and English. Q&L's long-running participation at the Doha Book Fair is one the library hopes to be a
02:21lasting relationship that can also bring new connections in the community. What makes Q&L special
02:27is that it's a public library, a national library, and a research library. What the Doha Book Fair brings to us
02:33is the visitors, and we get the chance to know about our audience more, get to know what do they like
02:39to read, what kind of activities they'd like to associate and engage with. Another long-running
02:44national reading campaign is Qatar Reads, aimed at encouraging parents to instill the love for books
02:50in their children. Every year at the Doha International Book Fair at the Qatar Reads Pavilion,
02:56we always try to encourage parents to subscribe their children in our family reading program,
03:00which is targeted at kids ages 3 to 13, where we deliver specifically curated reading packages to
03:07their homes according to their age group and their language preference. A big emphasis in the campaign
03:12is nurturing bilingualism amongst the local population. To do that, Qatar Reads launched an
03:19initiative focused on Arabic literary classics. In order for us to preserve the Qatari culture and focus
03:26on the importance of getting to know Arabic literature titles, we do this a lot through
03:30the One Book One Doha campaign. And whether it's in Arabic or English, it's important for us to
03:35highlight that these titles actually originated from the Arabic language. For example, our title in
03:402023 was Hay bin Yaqdan. Some people would know it as Tarzan or Mowkli, but they don't know that
03:46it's an original text that was written 100 years ago and it originates from the character of Hay bin Yaqdan.
03:50So it's these tiny little facts that we want to plant as seeds into the minds of our children.
03:55In just six years, Qatar Reads has managed to gain quite a following, both in Qatar and abroad,
04:02through partnerships with other organizations like Qatar Museums. And the hope is that it will
04:07continue to spread knowledge that transcends borders. It makes my heart so happy to see our growth
04:13happening every year. And what's even better is that our impact is not only in Qatar, but it's also
04:18happening internationally with our partnerships with Years of Culture. We've seen our books go
04:23to Indonesia, go to the United States, go to Morocco, and this year going to Argentina.
04:31From exploring creativity through stories to shaping future-empowered leaders, Qatar is also committed
04:38to making education accessible to all children, no matter where they are. To date, the Qatar Fund
04:45for Development has supported more than 1,000 students globally through the Qatar Scholarships
04:50Programme. I caught up with Mariam Mubarak-Aldarwish, the Development Project Engineer, who explains
04:57the importance of investing in young talent.
05:02Can you tell us more about the Qatar Scholarships Programme and what it aims to achieve?
05:07The Qatar Scholarship Programme led by Qatar Fund for Development offers fully funded
05:12higher education opportunities to talented students from underserved and conflict-affected communities.
05:19Its goal is to give those students access to quality education, help them build the skills
05:25they needed to succeed, and empower them to contribute meaningfully to the community.
05:30The programme supports both academic excellence and personal growth, equipping the students to make
05:37a lasting impact at home and beyond. There was a recent batch of graduates from that scholarship
05:43programme, more than 100 young, talented individuals. What are some impressive profiles or achievements
05:49from that batch of graduates? One story that stands out is about the students who got the chance
05:56to meet former US President Barack Obama after joining a leadership programme. For these students who comes
06:03from a background trip by hardship and conflict, it was more than just a proud moment. It was a powerful
06:09reminder of how far determination and access to education can take someone. What's made it special?
06:16It wasn't just the recognition itself, but the journey that led there. Moments like this truly shows what
06:22Qatar Scholarships Programme is all about. Opening doors and helping young people believe in what's possible.
06:29One of the biggest challenges in the world at the moment is ensuring children in conflict zones still
06:34get access to learning. How is QFFD helping in this aspect and also to advocate for more organisations
06:42in the world to protect these children who are in the middle of conflict and war?
06:47This is really at the core of what we do at QFFD. In places affected by war and displacement,
06:55we support mobile schools, remote learning tools and spaces where children can continue their
07:02education, even in the most difficult conditions. We believe schools should be a safe place for
07:09learning, not places of danger. No child should have to risk their life just to get an education. That's
07:16the message we want to share through our partnership, our platform and everything we do globally.
07:23Education must be protected always.
07:29The annual celebration of literature at the Doha International Book Fair brings global
07:34perspectives to Qatar. It features more than 500 publishing houses along with many international
07:40bookstores. Adol Halim met with some of those exhibitors visiting Qatar from both near and far.
07:48Reflecting the fair's growing international appeal,
07:51the Doha International Book Fair has become an annual tradition for the French Institute in Qatar.
07:58We have a big number of French community, so just we want to make sure that they can find some
08:04resources. And for those who don't know the French culture, they can also come to the Institute to
08:12discover the language also. We just want to keep this relation with the French language and culture,
08:19and to meet other cultures maybe also.
08:25This year the Palestinian Pavilion is the guest of honor, introducing 11 Palestinian publishers to the
08:31Qatari audience.
08:34visitors could learn more about the country's culture and history with displays of traditional
08:40clothing, a timeline of historical events, and cultural symbols.
08:45visitors could learn more about the country's culture and history with displays of traditional clothing,
08:55a timeline of historical events, and cultural symbols.
08:58its light of such as the Muslim culture and color.
09:01and the kind of thing has changed over the country's culture of the world.
09:04Something new this year is the Al-Halbouni market that features 15 libraries from the famous
09:34Al-Halbouni Street in Syria, known for its extensive collection of rare and historical
09:39books. For many of the vendors here, these libraries represent some of the most important
09:44and prestigious institutions in the Arab world. Unique manuscripts, classic literature,
09:50and historical works that could be found in one of Damascus' oldest markets are on display
09:56in Doha. Jamal Muhammad Nassif opened his bookstore in Syria more than a half century ago.
10:04Nassif is hopeful that despite a lengthy civil war, there are better days on the horizon.
10:11For his homeland.
10:12Nassif is hopeful that despite a lengthy civil war, there are better days on the horizon
10:18for his homeland.
10:19Nassif is hopeful that despite a lengthy civil war, there are better days on the horizon
10:26for his homeland.
10:28Nassif is hopeful that despite a lengthy civil war, there are better days on the horizon
10:35for his homeland.
10:37Nassif is hopeful that despite a few years of the
11:06problems.
11:07J'ai eu l'idée de faire ce livre quand ma fille était petite et que je lui lisais
11:10des histoires quand elle était bébé.
11:12Voilà.
11:13J'ai voulu créer un livre en forme de triangle parce que je trouvais que ça serait intéressant
11:18de voir comment un autre pliage se déroule.
11:21Et ça marche assez bien quand on lit parce qu'en général, ils se mettent tous à crier le
11:26nom des animaux et ça devient très joyeux.
11:28Et c'est ce que je cherche en faisant des livres avec les enfants.
11:31C'est de créer des moments de joie et de partage ludiques avec eux.
11:36Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
11:41pour voir comment cultural exchanges can be a powerful tool for education.
11:45J'espère que vous avez apprécié cette vidéo.
11:46Mais c'est tout le temps que nous avons pour maintenant.
11:48Pour plus, check out Euronews.com et connect avec nous
11:51through our hashtag.
11:52Merci d'avoir regardé cette vidéo !
11:54à la prochaine fois sur Tata 365.
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