Germany awards advisor of Yemen’s Ministry of Culture [Archives:2007/1023/Culture]
Koehler, bestowed on Dr. Yusuf Abdullah, the advisor of the Ministry of Culture, the Commanders Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The German ambassador, Frank M. Mann, on the behalf of the German president, gave Professor Abdullah the Merit that took place in a ceremony in the ambassador's house on Feb. 7 in Sana'a.
Abdullah has been a scholar and teacher throughout his life and has built bridges between nations and cultures.
The honor acknowledges Abdullah's merits for dealing with Germany and Germans. It is also for his career and academic achievements.
Abdullah is the first Yemeni who received a scholarship from the Humboldt Foundation. He received a Ph.D from Eberhard-Karls University in Tuebingen. After returning to Yemen, he began teaching archaeology and types of ancient handwritings in Sana'a University.
Simultaneously, he occupied a position as a fellow professor in Marburg and Jena Universities. Furthermore, he compiled numerous studies and articles in archaeology, particularly of the Sheba historical period.
Abdullah worked hard to support the archaeological institute in Yemen: “It is no coincidence that we meet this evening just one day prior to the opening of the new center in Sana'a of the German Archaeological Institute and a couple of days prior to the start of a new area of German archaeological studies with the begging of excavations in Old Marib. The activities of all German archaeologists in Yemen are closely interlinked with your activities. Without your help and support, German knowledge about the history of southern Arabia would not be where we stand today,” the ambassador said.
This intimate relationship, however, was a relationship of pursuing mutual interests and mutual profits.
For a long time, Abdullah had been the chairman of the Yemeni German Friendship Association which has as its task the improvement and care of the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries.
Abdullah was born in Taiz, Yemen, on May 19, 1943. In 1962, He received a Bachelor's degree in General Certificate of Education (GCE), in London, then an M.A. from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, American University of Beirut (1967 & 1970), and finally a doctorate from Tubingen University, Germany (1975).
In 2003, he became the Governmental Advisor for Culture and Tourism with ministerial rank, Ex Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ex President of General Organization of Antiquities, Museum & Manuscripts in 2002. In 1982, he was the dean of Faculty of Arts, University of Sana'a , and the dean of Faculty of Research and Higher Studies University of Sana'a in 1986.He is a Visiting Professor and lecturer at several universities such as Marburg (Germany), Minnesota (U.S.A.), Qatar, College de France, Sorbonne (France), Oxford (England), Chicago (U.S.A), Jena (Germany), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
Abdullah served as editor-in-chief of many academic journals.
He was also a member of the board of trustees of several local and international foundations.
He works as a supervisor of M.A and Ph.D. students, regional and international academic referee, and as an examiner on Arabian ancient history, epigraphy and archaeology.
——
[archive-e:1023-v:14-y:2007-d:2007-02-08-p:culture]
