Qustandi Shomali

Qustandi Shomali (born in Beit Sahour, Palestinian town on 8 July 1946), is an academic.

His studies

He worked as an Arabic teacher in Algeria from 1965-72; received a B.A in Arabic literature from Oran University in Algeria in 1971, worked as editor of the Arab World Review in Canada from 1972 to 1975 and as Translator for the Government of Quebec while also studying Comparative Literature at Montreal University, graduating with an MA in 1974; continued his studies in France and earned a Doctorate in Communication and Information Sciences from the University of Paris, Sorbonne.

At Bethlehem University

In 1977, Shomali returned to Palestine and joined Bethlehem University, first as Assistant Professor (1977-80), then as chairman of the Arabic Language Department from 1980-86, Associate Professor of Arabic (1983-2006) and Full Professor in June 2006. He was a visiting Professor at Georgetown University during 1986-87 and at the College de France, France in 1995.

Shomali was on the board of Directors of the Family Bookshop Group Holdings, Cyprus from 1992-95 served as secretary of the Bethlehem 2000 Committee in 1995-96, was a Visiting Professor at the California Sate University San Bernardino in 2004.

Prizes and Honours

He has received several prizes and honors including the Rashid Hussein Prize by the Arab Heritage Center in 1991, the "Medallion François 1er" from the College de France 1995, The Ghassan Kanafani Medallion in 1996 and the Bethlehem University Recognition Medal in 2002 also his works as translator into Arabic, including "The Master: A Life of Jesus" (by John Pollock) Beirut, Dar al-Jil, (1999), wrote numerous textbooks for teaching, articles and critical studies in Arabic, English and French, in local and international journals, on Modern Palestinian Literature, Comparative Literature and Media, including Introduction into Modern Linguistics, Jerusalem, Arab Studies Society, 1983, Literary and Critical Trends in Modern Palestinian Literature (Jerusalem, Dar al-Awdah, 1990).

Shomali was invited to lecture in many universities in France, Belgium, Italy, England, Sweden, Germany, USA, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and Yemen. Moreover, He was invited on a regular basis (1995-2000) by the "Ecole Doctorale des Sciences Economiques and Le Centre d'Etudes des Relations Internationales" at the University of Reims, in France, to lecture on different aspects of the Palestinian culture.

Shomali spent 10 years (1985-1995) studying and classifying old Palestinian newspapers published before 1948. This resulted in the publication of a series of bibliographies and critical studies on the most important newspapers: "Falastin", "Mirat as-Sharq", "al-Carmel" and "al-Akhbar" (6 Volumes), and a critical study entitled "The Critical and Literary Trends in the Palestinian Literature", based on "Falastin Newspaper".

As a professor of translation at Bethlehem University since 1995, Shomali has published many articles on the Theory of Translation in international journals, as well as a textbook entitled "An Introduction to Translation". He is a founder and active member in the Palestinian Translators' Society since 1990.

Writings

Shomali wrote extensively on Bethlehem and Cultural Tourism:
*"A Guide to Bethlehem and its Surroundings" which was translated into German, Spanish, French and Italian.
*"Bethlehem 2000: Twenty Centuries of History"; a catalogue in Arabic, French and English for a photographic exhibition on Bethlehem.
*A book entitled "Cultural Tourism in Palestine" (MAS.1999).
*"Tourism, Cultural and Development, the Case of Palestine" (1995), a study in English for UNESCO.
*He was a major contributor in the preparation of an illustrated book "The Nativity in Bethlehem & Umbria".
*He also prepared a "Visitors' Guide to the Ministry of Tourism" and "A Tourist Guide to Palestine".
*He wrote also a policy paper entitled: "Cultural Tourism in Palestine: Policy, Resources & Products". West Bank & Gaza. UNESCO. March 2004, and
*a textbook entitled: "Cultural Heritage and Tourism", Bethlehem University, 2005.