QF opens QatarDebate Council at US’ Western Kentucky University

ATARDEBATE Centre, a member of atar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has opened atarDebate Council at Western entucky niversity in the nited States of America in the presence of a number of officials from both sides.

Executive Director of atarDebate Dr Hayat Abdullah Marafi said that the council is a new platform that overlooks the world from the nited States of America with a traditional atari imprint that emphasises its role in spreading dialogue and convergence of ideas between generations.

She stressed that the council is a cultural venue to deepen the skills of its visitors who are interested in the dialogue and linguistic aspects, and to discuss controversial topics that involve different opinions.

She noted that the council also constitutes a free space for Arab American students and professors to gather after being separated by distances.

She added that the centre will document, through the Council, the efforts of the atar Foundation globally and the nited States of America in particular, and specifically this year as it is the ear of Culture atar SA.

For his part, Dean of Western entucky niversity Dr ohn Sunnygard congratulated the university administration,

atarDebate and the students on the opening of the atarDebate Council, which reflects the permanent friendship between the university and atarDebate.

Sunnygard added that the university looks forward to exploring new opportunities in the future for further cooperation with the centre because both feel proud of the common past, expressing his happiness over the launch of the council in the nited States, saying that it is a valuable gift that helps strengthen deep ties between peoples.

Head of rogrammes and Marketing at atarDebate Abdulrahman Al Subaie praised the initiative to open atarDebate Council in the nited States of America.

Subaie said that the idea of the council at Western entucky niversity came after the centre’s delegation visited the university in late 2018, when its management suggested allocating a atari council on the university campus in order to enhance communication between those interested in learning the Arabic language and debates.

Subaie reviewed the stages of the project starting from its study and its future goals, whether at the university level or the level of the nited States of America as a meeting place between students and officials at the university and the debate community and the Arabic language community in America, as well as offering various programmes in partnership with

atarDebate, preserving cultural identity and practising the most important customs and the atari traditions, which were on the schedule of the opening ceremony of the council.

For his part, the centre’s ambassador to the nited States of America Mohammed Al Lukhan Al Marri explained that atar and the nited States of America signed in 2020 a set of agreements on the sidelines of the strategic dialogue between the two sides, including the declaration of 2021 as a ear of Culture of atar- SA.

He pointed out that the atarDebate Center began its tour this year in the nited States of America with the aim of spreading debates in Arabic around the world, and its first starting point was from Western entucky niversity.

QatarDebate Centre will document, through the Council, the efforts of the Qatar Foundation globally and the US in particular, and specifically this year as it is the Year of Culture Qatar USA