University President: “Manuscripts are fundamental to preserving cultural heritage; the university is planning an international conference on integrating humanities and applied sciences.”
As part of its efforts to strengthen its international presence, Port Said University hosted an international seminar titled “Critical Editing of Manuscript Texts and Features of Arab Folk Epics.” The event was held under the auspice of Prof. Dr. Sherif Saleh, University President, and brought together prominent experts, including Prof. Dr. Ayman Fouad Sayed (Professor of Islamic History at Al-Azhar University and manuscript expert) and Prof. Dr. Zuzana Kazakova (Head of the Arabic Department at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia).
Prof. Dr. Sherif Saleh emphasized the importance of manuscripts in preserving human heritage through rigorous scientific editing. He also announced preparations for an international conference on the integration of humanities and applied sciences to serve society, commending the international relations team and Prof. Dr. Ahmed Hassan Anwar (Advisor to the University President for International Relations) for enhancing the university’s global standing.
During the seminar, Prof. Dr. Ayman Fouad Sayed discussed the methodology of critical manuscript publication, focusing on textual collation, source verification, and reconstructing texts as closely as possible to the author’s intent. Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Zuzana Kazakova delivered a lecture titled “Characteristics of Arabic Folk Epic Manuscripts: The Epic of Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan as a Case Study,” exploring the textual and material aspects of studying folk epics.
The seminar concluded that critical manuscript editing serves as a vital bridge connecting the past with the present and safeguarding Arab heritage.
Event Organization:
Supervision: Prof. Dr. Mohamed Kamel Farah (Supervisor of the Community Service and Environmental Development Sector) and Prof. Dr. Badr Abdel Aziz (Dean of the Faculty of Arts).
Presenter: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Youssef Ezzat (Cultural and Artistic Advisor to the University President).
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Nada El-Husseini Nada (Professor of Linguistics and Textual Editing, and former Vice President of the University).
Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Hassan Anwar (Advisor to the University President for International Relations).
