Qustandi Shomali


Qustandi Shomali, is a Palestinian professor of history at Bethlehem University.

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, then as chairman of the Arabic Language Department from 1980–86, Associate Professor of Arabic and Full Professor in June 2006. He was a visiting Professor at Georgetown University during 1986-87 and at the Collège 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 State University, San Bernardino in 2004 and in 2011-2012.

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 Collège 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 Beirut, Dar al-Jil,, 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.
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 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 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, 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 has written extensively on Bethlehem and cultural tourism:
Many research papers were published in Arabic, English and French in International Journals about Palestinian Literature, Palestinian Press and Comparative literature.
Prof. Shomali translated also the following books: