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Na Zhong

نا تشونغ

Notable figure 1909–2008 · Source: School of Arabic Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, history of the school · Second source: Na Zhong: a complex perspective on a patriotic Muslim scholar, Middle East Institute

From China; worked in Egypt

Field: Teaching Arabic

Affiliation

Founder of the Arabic major at Beijing Foreign Studies Univ.

Biography

Born in Yunnan, he went to Egypt with the 1931 student group and in 1936 became the first Chinese to take al-Azhar's «scholar» degree. Home from 1940, he taught Arabic and set up the Yunnan University programme. In 1958 he founded in Beijing the Arabic major that became the School of Arabic Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, and remained an Arabic professor until he retired.