In a new knowledge lecture, as part of the 'Knowledge Meetings' series and in cooperation with the 'Arab Geniuses' initiative, the 'Museum of the Future' in Dubai will host Algerian novelist Wasini Ajarad next Saturday. Wasini Ajarad is considered one of the most prominent Arab creators on the world literary scene, as his works have been translated into more than 20 languages. He is a professor of literature at both the University of Algiers and the Sorbonne, and has won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, along with a number of Arab and international awards. The 'Knowledge Meetings' series consists of intensive lectures held periodically throughout a full day, featuring a select group of Arab geniuses and creators from various fields, with a limited number of seats to ensure a high-quality intellectual experience focused on the richness of dialogue and the depth of direct interaction. The lecture is organized within the framework of the Museum of the Future's role, which is the official headquarters of the 'Arab Geniuses' initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktum, Vice President of the State, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. It aims to support Arab creativity and enhance cultural movement in the region by providing an intellectual and artistic platform that helps build bridges of communication between Arab creative minds and their audience, and expands the scope of cooperation between artists, thinkers, and scientists in various fields. The lecture stems from a fundamental question posed by Wasini about the meaning of writing in times of change. Through it, he approaches the role of the creative act in facing current cultural challenges and the issue of re-establishing writing as a cognitive and human practice. He also addresses the dialectical relationship between the past and the present, especially in the historical novel, as a bridge between memory and contemporary questions, based on his rich experience in this narrative genre. In the second axis, Wasini addresses the complexities of writing in the face of the dilemmas of the age, despite the rapid technological advancements and the difficult challenges they pose to the creative act. He sheds light on the impact of the increasing reliance on technology on the decline of reading culture, and discusses the role of literature in re-defining the components of geographical identity and shaping individual and collective identity in a changing world where cultures and borders intersect. The lecture also explores how creative writing can employ the achievements of the age for the benefit of humanity, by discussing the relationship between artificial intelligence and writing and the arts, and the possibilities for literature to benefit from it without compromising its human essence. It also stops at ways to enhance the universality of Arabic literature in the light of modern technology, and the role of translation as an effective partnership in human culture. The lecture is organized within the framework of the Museum of the Future's vision in cooperation with 'Arab Geniuses', which aims to provide an intellectual platform that brings Arab creators together with their audience, and opens up new horizons for dialogue on issues of thought, literature, and identity in an interactive environment that stimulates critical thinking and consolidates the value of creativity as a fundamental pillar for making the future. It is expected that the 'Knowledge Meetings' series will continue its sessions this year, hosting a select group of prominent Arab figures in the fields of literature, architecture, thought, arts, and technology, which enhances the role of the Museum of the Future as a global center for cultural dialogue, and a platform for envisioning the future and stimulating Arab creative energies towards new horizons of leadership and impact. As part of the 'Knowledge Meetings' sessions, the Museum of the Future has previously hosted two lectures: one by the world-renowned Iraqi artist Diaa Al-Azawi, winner of the 'Arab Geniuses' 2024 award, and one of the most prominent pioneers of contemporary Arab fine arts, and another by the architect and urban designer Sahel Al-Hayyari, winner of the 'Arab Geniuses' award in the 'Architecture and Design' category, and one of the most influential Arab architects in modern architectural movements. • A fundamental question posed by Wasini about the meaning of writing in times of change is the starting point of the dialogue.
