Punjab University (PU) External Linkages Director Maria Maldonado organised a presentation on “Spain: Language and Culture” at the Department of English on Tuesday.
PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Spanish Counsellor Sahir Salam, Prof Shaista Sonnu Siraj-ud-Din, Prof Dr Mazhar Moeen, senior faculty members and a large number of students were present on the seminar, which began with the national anthem of Spain.
Dr Kamran appreciated the efforts of Maria Maldonado and Prof Dr Mazhar Moeein for the language’s development. He said he was impressed by the students’ presentations, which provided an opportunity to know about Spain. He said the Muslim period in Spain was splendid and the country was a centre of learning.
The speakers in their presentations said that Spanish was the second most spoken language in the world and had a sound importance in the business community. He said 550 million people of 21 countries spoke and understood Spanish. He said colonialism and voyages, especially Christopher Columbus’s voyage, had played a key role in promoting Spanish. The speakers highlighted society, literary activities, science, culture, education, tourism, geography, construction, sports and other renowned personalities of Spain.
Maria said that as many as five thousand words had been taken from Arabic in the Spanish language. She said it was easy to learn Spanish if one’s English was good because both the languages’ pronunciations resembled. Sahir Salam congratulated Dr Kamran and his team on a rapid academic and research development in the varsity. He offered the students to visit Spain. He said the culture and weather of both countries resembled. Prof Dr Mazhar Moeen said Spanish was nearer to Arabic and was among the first languages of the United Nations.
