São Paulo – Professors, doctor’s degree holders, academics and experts on Arab culture and history now have an important space for publishing their papers in Brazil. The electronic academic journal “Ipsis Libanis” (www.icbl.com.br/ipsislibanis) went online this Thursday (1) with scientific papers on Lebanon and Arab countries in general.
The magazine is under the coordination of the Brazil-Lebanon Culture Institute (Icbl) and, according to vice-president Katia Chalita, comes meet an old demand by professionals that work with Arab themes. “People from academic circles were demanding a magazine”, she says. “Ipsis Libanis” will cover culture, history, Arabic and Lebanese literature, language and other topics linked to the Humanities of the region.
The first edition’s cover story, “The different paths of Arab and Islamic political thinking from the 19th to the 21st century”, was written by Hoda Nehme, dean of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Department of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (Usek) in Lebanon. The text was based on a lecture given by Nehme in June in Rio de Janeiro.
Chalita also points out the important role played by the Lebanese university in the launch of “Ipsis Libanis”. According to her, the magazine had the support of “an important international partnership with the Latin American Studies and Cultures Center (Cecal) at Usek”, headed by Brazilian Roberto Khatlab.
The first edition of the magazine features eight articles written by academic authors from Brazil and Lebanon. The texts cover, among other topics, the Shariah (Islamic law), street vendors in São Paulo, and an analysis on Brazilians and Lebanese that went to live in each other’s countries.
“Ipsis Libanis” will be a quarterly magazine with articles published in three languages: Portuguese, English and French, whichever was used by the author originally. Each edition will bring from eight to 12 articles.
“The academic community makes plenty use of the academic journal. It’s a great forum of ideas”, says Chalita. She says that not only Lebanon-related topics are welcomed, but also those relating to other Middle East countries. The magazine’s editor-in-chief is professor Muna Omran, holder of a doctor’s degree on History and Literary Theory and a professor on this subject at Fluminense Federal University (UFF).
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
