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Ailyn Agonia
DOHA
QATAR Foundation Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has officially dedicated the first media museum in the Arab world and the first university museum in Qatar, The Media Majlis, at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) on Monday.
QF Vice-Chairperson and CEO Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al Thani attended the dedication ceremony of the unique museum intended for exploring journalism, communication and media.
Speaking on the occasion, Sheikha Hind referred to media as a powerful channel for dissemination and preservation of knowledge. She also stressed the importance of knowledge to be accessible, inclusive, engaging, relevant and presented in a way that inspires people to explore, question and think deeply and openly and to not simply receive knowledge but to respond to it.
“The Media Majlis demonstrates how narratives exist to be explored and challenged rather than simply accepted; and how connecting with different voices, standpoints, and ideas extends the boundaries of our understanding, nourishes critical and original thought and enriches lives. The Media Majlis is more than simply a provider of information; it is a platform for discourse, an invitation to both discuss and contribute to the story of the Arab world. Within this building entity, visitors can be active participants, commentators and, some educators, rather than just observers,” said Sheikha Hind.
The museum’s name draws on the traditional Arab majlis, or gathering place, as a vital source of interpersonal communication, but extends it to modern interactive media, thus connecting values of local culture to universal and global concerns.
With a focus on the Arab world, the museum will host two exhibitions each year on major themes and ideas that are pertinent to the region.
NU-Q Dean Everette E Dennis said, “The Media Majlis aims to foster public understanding of journalism and communication and their role in shaping public opinion and shaping the image of the Middle East to the rest of the world. It underscores the importance of media in society from the earlier and most basic forms of communication to the most modern and draws on images and materials from local sources and global collections.”
The Director of Media Majlis Pamela Erskine-Loftus added, “Our ethos [at the museum] is that there is ‘always another side.’ Our exhibitions, complemented by a series of programmes and publications, examine and discuss multiple angles and perspectives to provide audiences with a 360-degree engagement with the subject, leaving them more empowered and knowledgeable to make their own opinion on the subject at hand.”
In his remarks, Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro said that the new museum which is inspired by the vision of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser also demonstrates Northwestern’s commitment to education and research and its long-standing foothold in the Middle East.
The museum’s first exhibition, ‘Arab Identities, images in film’, will continue until June 1 and then reopen in August and run through December. It features sections from more than 60 films and hundreds of images, including some dating back to the 1880s, and posters from the early 1990s.
The Media Majlis will welcome all visitors from 10am to 5pm every Saturday and from 12:30pm to 5pm Sunday to Thursday. It is closed on Fridays.
DOHA
QATAR Foundation Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has officially dedicated the first media museum in the Arab world and the first university museum in Qatar, The Media Majlis, at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) on Monday.
QF Vice-Chairperson and CEO Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al Thani attended the dedication ceremony of the unique museum intended for exploring journalism, communication and media.
Speaking on the occasion, Sheikha Hind referred to media as a powerful channel for dissemination and preservation of knowledge. She also stressed the importance of knowledge to be accessible, inclusive, engaging, relevant and presented in a way that inspires people to explore, question and think deeply and openly and to not simply receive knowledge but to respond to it.
“The Media Majlis demonstrates how narratives exist to be explored and challenged rather than simply accepted; and how connecting with different voices, standpoints, and ideas extends the boundaries of our understanding, nourishes critical and original thought and enriches lives. The Media Majlis is more than simply a provider of information; it is a platform for discourse, an invitation to both discuss and contribute to the story of the Arab world. Within this building entity, visitors can be active participants, commentators and, some educators, rather than just observers,” said Sheikha Hind.
The museum’s name draws on the traditional Arab majlis, or gathering place, as a vital source of interpersonal communication, but extends it to modern interactive media, thus connecting values of local culture to universal and global concerns.
With a focus on the Arab world, the museum will host two exhibitions each year on major themes and ideas that are pertinent to the region.
NU-Q Dean Everette E Dennis said, “The Media Majlis aims to foster public understanding of journalism and communication and their role in shaping public opinion and shaping the image of the Middle East to the rest of the world. It underscores the importance of media in society from the earlier and most basic forms of communication to the most modern and draws on images and materials from local sources and global collections.”
The Director of Media Majlis Pamela Erskine-Loftus added, “Our ethos [at the museum] is that there is ‘always another side.’ Our exhibitions, complemented by a series of programmes and publications, examine and discuss multiple angles and perspectives to provide audiences with a 360-degree engagement with the subject, leaving them more empowered and knowledgeable to make their own opinion on the subject at hand.”
In his remarks, Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro said that the new museum which is inspired by the vision of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser also demonstrates Northwestern’s commitment to education and research and its long-standing foothold in the Middle East.
The museum’s first exhibition, ‘Arab Identities, images in film’, will continue until June 1 and then reopen in August and run through December. It features sections from more than 60 films and hundreds of images, including some dating back to the 1880s, and posters from the early 1990s.
The Media Majlis will welcome all visitors from 10am to 5pm every Saturday and from 12:30pm to 5pm Sunday to Thursday. It is closed on Fridays.
