By: Mai Shaheen, Taarek Refaat
CAIRO, Jan. 22 (SEE)-With Egyptian-Nubian
features, Afnan Kboush was among the distinguished scholars in the nation of
1.4 billion people, China.
She has become the first
post-graduate student to write a doctoral thesis on “Nubia” in the Chinese
language.
Kboush, a graduate with honors
from the Faculty of Arts at Suez Canal University and holder of a master’s
degree from Beijing Language and Culture University, is the first researcher to
conduct a scientific study on Nubia.
She pointed out that she
disseminated her research and studies through the Chinese WeChat app, which was
noticed by her then Ph.D. thesis supervisor.
In an exclusive interview with
Sada El-Balad English (SEE), the Arts graduate said that the Chinese university
took a keen interest in her thesis proposal due to the lack of sufficient data
on the Nubian culture, traditions, and language in China.
She added: “I studied the Chinese
language in the faculty of arts and received excellent grades in my Bachelor’s
degree.” Kboush pointed out that she found pleasure in learning the language
especially that it involves characters which are similar to the characters of
ancient Egypt.
The Nubian researcher explained
that ethnic studies are the interdisciplinary study of difference; mainly race,
ethnicity, gender, language, customs and traditions, and similarities within
and between human groups.
She explained that she had
received a grant for academic excellence from the Chinese government to
complete her Master’s degree and later awarded the Ph.D. scholarship in
recognition of her outstanding curriculum vitae and her young age.
“I applied for the Ph.D.
scholarship personally without the nomination of my university in Egypt,” she
emphasized.
As for other cultural projects, Kboush,
during her Master’s studies, participated in the national competition between
the embassies, winning the third spot. “It was the first time a Nubian dress
shows up in such competitions,” she noted.
She also sealed the second spot at
another international competition, which included Chinese students among other
nationalities. The competition was broadcast live through Ningxia educational
TV programmes.
To which extent will Egypt benefit
from this scientific research; Kboush explained that she seeks to build
awareness about the true nature of Egypt through enhancing the image of Egypt
and portraying its distinct culture over the ages. She added that she hopes her
research will open the door for knowledge enthusiasts to further discover
Egypt’s versatile cultures, and also to promote tourism in the country.
Worth noting is that Nubia was a
region along the Nile river encompassing the territory between Aswan and
Khartoum. It was the birthplace of one of the earliest civilizations of ancient
Africa.
Follow the latest news on Google News
