Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has launched the Mohammed bin Rashid Arabic E-Learning Project, which includes a Translation Challenge set to give Arabic translation a huge boost.
The challenge? To translate some 5,000 videos and 11 million words of world-class math and science materials into Arabic.
Once translated all the information would be made available online for free, for over 50 million Arab students from kindergarten to grade 12.
On his official website, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum explained:
“Our goal is to provide high standard academic material in science and maths to all Arab students; this project is the first step in a long journey to improve education in the Arab world, and make it accessible to millions of Arab students. Translation is the foundation of a cultural renaissance, and opens the doors to intellectual enlightenment.”
“The reality of the education system in the Arab world may be disappointing, however today we light a candle of hope. I believe in the unbound potential of Arab students when they have access to the necessary resources, tools and material to excel.”
In order to complete the translations, the Project is calling upon all Arabic language speakers to get involved and start translated content which can then be plugged into the localized Arabic versions to be held on the e-learning platform.
To ensure the translations are of a good standard, there is an application process to follow. Applicants must do so before October 18. The volunteers selected to help the programme will be notified by November 8.
It’s not just translators they need either, here are the skills they are looking for:
– The translation team (translating from English to Arabic)
– The video production team (producing high-quality videos)
– The graphic design team
– The media support team
– The video voiceover team
Also, if you have a project idea that you think will help the translation challenge, you can apply as well, and they say they “will review all development ideas and support the ideas [logistically and fiscally] we want to pursue”.
