The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Doha Film Institute (DFI).

The MoU calls for long-term collaboration between the college and DFI in the areas of education, professional training, and audiovisual translation and interpretation.

Dr Amal al-Malki, dean, CHSS, commented, “This collaboration falls within the remit of the college to actively engage with the local industry, in this case the film industry, and promote the importance of audiovisual translation, and translation and interpreting in general. The memorandum of understanding highlights the areas of commonality and the possibilities for innovative collaborations in combining translation studies and filmmaking."

The agreement demonstrates the interest of CHSS and DFI in making films accessible to sensory impaired audiences and marks a strong commitment by both organisations to work together on various workshops, projects, and events that serve the educational needs of Qatar and the region.

In addition, the MoU will allow graduate students to collaborate with and learn from professionals working in media and translation.

Fatma al-Rumaihi, CEO, DFI, said: “Through our partnership with HBKU, the DFI is contributing to building the next generation of film talent in the country. We are focused on creating vibrant community development platforms that enable our youth to understand and build their skills in all aspects of filmmaking – from film appreciation to audiovisual and post-production.”

Last year, students from HBKU’s Master of Audiovisual Translation programme, worked with DFI to include a special screening of the Qatari-produced short film, The Hero and the Message, at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival on the occasion of the United Nations (UN) International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The screening was the region’s first inclusive cinematic experience, with HBKU students responsible for the subtitling and audio-description of the film. As a result of the collaboration, both the visually impaired and hearing impaired were able to enjoy the short film.

The MoU also creates the potential for similar community outreach initiatives in the future and establishes a platform for knowledge sharing, academic learning, and professional development.