Arab Philosophers - Ancient and Contemporary
A unique cultural and radio cooperation initiative, distinguished both by the scale and diversity of its audience and by the significance of the subject it explores.
Above all, it is a true intercultural dialogue project, in which the participating radio broadcasters joined forces to preserve, share and promote knowledge of a cultural heritage that belongs to all.
Arab Philosophers – Ancient and Contemporary is an international radio collection promoted by the ASBU (Arab States Broadcasting Union) and COPEAM.
Composed of 27 episodes of 30 minutes each, the series traces the history of Arab philosophical from the 10th century to the present day, making it accessible to a wide audience. It highlights the cultural, intellectual and scientific exchanges and mutual influences between civilizations across the centuries.
Produced in Arabic, the series features leading figures of classical philosophy—including Averroes, Al-Farabi, Al-Tawhidi, Ibn Khaldun and Avicenna—alongside influential contemporary thinkers such as Malek Bennabi and Mohamed Al Jabri. By connecting the rich philosophical tradition of the Arab world with today's challenges, it demonstrates the enduring and universal relevance of their ideas.
16 Arabic-language public radio broadcasters from Southern Europe, the MENA region and the Gulf took part in this co-production. From Spain to Egypt, from Tunisia to France, and from Türkiye to Qatar, the collection brought together an unprecedented number and diversity of partner radio stations, all contributing to a shared cultural initiative.
Between January and June 2026, the series was broadcast by partner radio stations in 16 countries, marking an exceptional transnational radio event that reached audiences across a wide geographical area.
In line with the ASBU–COPEAM co-production approach, the project strengthens ties between partner regions while embodying the importance of intercultural dialogue and audiovisual cooperation.
2024February
Launch of the co-production and kick-off meeting at ASBU (Tunis, 20-21 February)2024November
During the Nouvelles Rencontres d'Averroès cultural event in Marseille, the first excerpts from the podcast were presented in preview, in the presence of radio producer Micha Khalil (Monte Carlo Doualiya / France Médias Monde) and Jawdath Jabbour, expert in Arab philosophy and researcher at CNRS–TDMAM (Aix-Marseille University).2025December
Completion of the production and post-production of all 27 episodes.2025/2026November - February
Testing the AI-assisted translation and dubbing of a selection of episodes on the occasion of the UNESCO's World Radio Day.2026January – June
Broadcast of the series by partner radio stations.
