UNU Jogja and Moscow Islamic Institute Initiate Deep Understanding of Arabic Translation through International Lectures

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – The Faculty of Islamic Studies, Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies Program (SII) at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama (UNU) Jogja, in collaboration with the Moscow Islamic Institute (MII), successfully held an international public lecture titled “Al Simat al Tarjamawiyah min al Lughah al Arabiyah ila al Lughat al Ukhra” (Features of Translation from Arabic to Other Languages). The event, conducted online on Tuesday, July 15, was attended by faculty members and students from both institutions.

The main speaker, Arabic lecturer from MII, Flyoulin Vitaly Valentinovich, was moderated by Mohammad Rofiqi, an Arabic lecturer from UNU Jogja.

In his presentation, Vitaly emphasized the importance of precision in translation. “A translator must not make even the slightest mistake, as it can harm oneself and mislead readers,” he said, highlighting that mastery of basic linguistic sciences is essential for translators, particularly those working with Arabic.

He explained that Arabic is a complex language with a strong root-word system studied in ishtiqaq (morphology), requiring an understanding of how words are formed and developed. Vitaly also stressed the significance of tashrif (word inflection) and the ability to interpret both connotative and denotative meanings accurately.

“Translators must also understand the creation of new words borrowed from foreign languages and interpret meanings through cognitive, cultural, and emotional contexts. Often, meanings are not found in dictionaries but within context,” he added.

Addressing a question about AI tools such as ChatGPT, Vitaly noted, “Technology serves only as an assistant and cannot fully replace the human role, especially in understanding deeper contextual meanings.”

Closing the lecture, Rofiqi expressed hope that the event would benefit students. “We expect this lecture to help our students grasp the complexity of Arabic translation and enhance their scholarly quality in interdisciplinary Islamic studies,” he said.

Vitaly also hoped for future in-person collaboration between UNU Jogja and the Moscow Islamic Institute to pursue more intensive and meaningful academic projects. [Latifah]