Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi is organising unique virtual Ramadan Talks
27 April, 2021Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi is organizing unique webinars titled “Ramadan Talks presented by Academics and Researchers at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi”. The talks will be held on April 28 and May 5 at 5:00 pm.
The talks are based on research finding and areas of expertise of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi academics, and will address different takes on Ramadan from the perspectives of sociology, urban geography and philosophy.
On 28 April, a talk titled “Abu Dhabi Public Places at the Pace of Ramadan” by Dr. Hadrien Dubucs, Head of Geography and Planning Department at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Dr. Clio Chaveneau, Associate professor of Sociology at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi will be based on an interdisciplinary 2-year study exploring complexity of Abu Dhabi’s public spaces and the public realm that relies on space, as well as on social rythms and temporality by observing the significant and dramatic variations that occur during Ramadan with its own temporality, which complexifies these oppositions and changes the regular tempo of the city and its inhabitants, while some activities are postponed to the evenings.
The second talk takes place on 5th of May and is titled “Ramadan fasting interpreted by the philosophers: The point of view of Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali in The Revival of Religious Sciences” by Dr. Fouad Nohra, Associate Professor in Political Science and Doctor in political philosophy, during which he speaks about Ramadan from philosophical point of view and combines the exegetic interpretation with the philosophical interpretation of this fourth pillar of Islam based on Al Ghazali reference to the following Hadith: “Patience is half of the faith and fasting is half of the patience”. Therefore, fasting gives the opportunity for a behaviour that is respectful of the other human beings. The very roots for a realist perception of the reconciliation between the body, the soul and the spirit can be found in Quran and Hadith. The purpose of this talk is to present an insight on the way the philosophers can interpret one of the five pillars completing therefore the theological interpretation.
These talks will end with a question-and-answer session, allowing attendees to engage with the presenter and creating an open discussion between the public and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi’s academics and researchers. Professor Silvia Serrano, Vice-Chancellor Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi commented “Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi continuously seeks to share knowledge, scientific research findings and encourage dialogue, and Ramadan was always an area of interest to researchers and philosophers’ in both ancient times and the present time alike. What is very interesting about these webinars is that they address unique angles about Ramadan from the humanities perspectives; and humanities is an area of expertise where Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has always been acknowledged for.”