# Sharjah university establishes UNESCO Chair for Arabic, AI and digital heritage

> AUS signed an agreement with UNESCO to establish a chair on Arabic, AI and digital heritage.

- Canonical URL: https://newsverum.com/en/news/american-university-sharjah-unesco-chair-arabic-ai-digital-heritage-2026
- Publisher: Newsverum
- Section: Education
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Published: 2026-10-20T15:49:36+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-20T15:49:36+00:00
- Event / data period: 2026-10-19
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American University of Sharjah (AUS) signed an agreement with UNESCO on 19 October to establish a UNESCO Chair in Arabic Language, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Heritage. WAM reported that it would be the only UNESCO Chair of its kind worldwide. The university said the initiative will focus on preserving Arab cultural and linguistic heritage and expanding access to it.

Planned work includes digitising archives and endangered Arabic dialects, developing multilingual metadata standards, researching the intersection of AI and the humanities, and producing open-access resources. The chair also envisages training for early-career researchers and cultural practitioners, and joint projects with institutions in Arab states, Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

## Data

### UNESCO Chair for Arabic, AI and digital heritage at AUS

American University of Sharjah signed an agreement to establish a UNESCO Chair focused on Arabic, AI and digital heritage.

Methodology: The source reports the agreement signed on 19 October and the university’s planned work areas; it does not describe completed projects or outcomes.

| date | label | description | status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-19 | AUS and UNESCO sign agreement for new chair | The chair plans to document, digitise and provide access to Arab cultural and linguistic heritage, while supporting research, training and regional collaboration. | occurred |

Sources: <https://www.wam.ae/en/article/c2tl9hf-aus-launches-world%E2%80%99s-only-unesco-chair-for-arabic> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/american-university-sharjah-unesco-chair-arabic-ai-digital-heritage-2026/data/aus-unesco-arabic-ai-digital-heritage-chair-launch?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/american-university-sharjah-unesco-chair-arabic-ai-digital-heritage-2026/data/aus-unesco-arabic-ai-digital-heritage-chair-launch?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [Emirates News Agency (WAM)](<https://www.wam.ae/en/article/c2tl9hf-aus-launches-world%E2%80%99s-only-unesco-chair-for-arabic>) (Source checked: 2026-10-20; Published: 2026-10-19)

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