The study “Sufi Commentary: Formative and Later Periods” by the Head of the Laboratory Alexander Knysh will be published in the fundamental work on Qur’anic Studies “The Oxford Handbook of Qur’anic Studies”.

Another work of Professor Alexander Knysh “Between Europe and the East: Arabic and Islamic Studies in Imperial Russia” will be published in the “Essays on Soviet Orientology” (Ed. by Michael Kemper, Vladimir Bobrovnikov and Masha Kirasirova, Routledge, London and New York, 2015).

On April 25, a traditional Arabic Language Party was held at the Faculty of Asian and African Studies in St Petersburg State University. The program included a stage performances, quizzes, poetry readings, Arabic songs and dances. At this event second year students showed the second episode of the film “Hamlet” in Arabic, which was directed by Olga Bernikova. (The film can be viewed by clicking on this link http://youtu.be/9mjIW9AjXLU). Our young researchers, Vladimir Rozov and Oleg Sokolov, students of the 4th year of study took a very active part in the party. The Dean of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky was among the guests of honor. The evening was supported by the Head of the Arabic Philology Department of, Deputy Head of the Laboratory Oleg Redkin.
   

Head of the Arabic Philology Department, professor Oleg Redkin currently takes part in the International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education (IECHE-2014), held in the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Riyadh from 16 to 19 April 2014. More than 450 Universities from 30 countries take part in the exhibition. For detailed information please check the link  www.ieche.com.sa

4th year student Oleg Sokolov took part in the XXXVI Annual Session of St Petersburg Arabists, held from April, 7-9, at the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts. The title of his report was “The Genre of Historical Novel in the Modern Yemen Literature”. The information about the Session agenda can be found at the website of the Institute: http://www.orientalstudies.ru/rus/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3611&Itemid=48.

New interview with Alexander Knysh “SPbSU will learn what Islam is nowadays” was published in the issue of the “Saint-Petersburg University” magazine.