An interview with Juan Antonio Àlvarez-Pedrosa
The Significance of the Book Week Event
Farsi language education in Spain is limited to courses designed to complete the education of Arabic students. Persian language is also taught in private academies, but it does not have a complete and continuous curriculum.
The International Public Relations Department of Iran Book and Literature House: What follows is an exclusive interview with Juan Antonio Àlvarez-Pedrosa on the occasion of the 30th Book Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Juan Antonio Àlvarez-Pedrosa is a professor of Indo-European linguistics at the Complutense University of Madrid and the head of the Religious Studies Institute. He has done several research projects related to the linguistic and cultural relationship between pre-Islamic Iran and the classical world, Greece and Rome.
What is the position of Persian language in your country?
Unfortunately, the Persian language in Spain is limited to courses designed to complement the training of students of Arabic. It is also part of the itinerary of some continuing education degrees and is also taught in private academies. But the Persian language has not been given a full and continuous curriculum.
According to your activities, how much is the acceptance of learning Persian language?
As far as I know, interest in the Persian language has declined in the last two years.
How many works of Iranian classical literature have been translated and published in your country, and what was the audience's view of them?
I don't know exactly, rather few, although there is a public interested in classical Persian literature.
In your opinion, what effect can this cultural exchange and exchange of cultural industries have on the relations between the two countries in the contemporary era?
I believe that cultural diplomacy is a basic tool for mutual understanding and the improvement of political and academic relations between countries. Unfortunately, I also think that it is a delicate object that can be broken when the geopolitical situation of countries suffers so many ups and downs for reasons that have nothing to do with culture. As with tourism, culture is a good that suffers greatly from political instabilities and the war environment, even if it is distant.
What is your opinion about cultural diplomacy? Does this exchange in the field of books and literature have a place in your definition of cultural diplomacy?
Yes, but not only. Certainly the exchange of students and teachers contributes even more, in my opinion. In Europe we have the experience of the Erasmus Programme, which has brought generations of young people closer to the culture of neighbouring countries.
Finally, how can dialogue between cultures be achieved?
As I said in the previous question, I believe it is essential to speed up university agreements to facilitate the exchange of students and teachers.
In Iran, the last week of the second month of autumn is named as book week and celebrations are held to promote reading. What is your opinion about this and whether this week can help for the dialogue of cultures and cultural diplomacy that we raised in the previous questions?
This is a very famous event in Iran, but it is little known in Spain.
