A bust of Abu Abdullah Rudaki, the founder of Tajik-Persian literature, was installed last week at the University of London School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS).
The bust is the latest initiative of the Tajik embassy in Great Britain. Tajikistan’s ambassador Rukhshona Emomali was at SOAS for the presentation of the bust, and in a speech mentioned the contributions that Rudaki made to strengthening the Tajik-Persian language, and the foundations of Tajik literature and poetry. Thanks to him, in the centuries that followed, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Pakistan, and India recognized the Tajik-Persian language as a language of science, literature, and statehood.
Following the presentation on 16 March, over 200 guests attended an event honoring Abu Abdullah Rudaki’s life. Staff from Tajikistan’s Ministry of Education and Science met with members of SOAS, as well as the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Persian Studies and the University of Portsmouth, to discuss forming educational partnerships in future.
