House of Wisdom 2.0

House of Wisdom 2.0: Reviving Critical Thinking in the Middle East

A revived, online, and modern version of the original House of Wisdom—the great library of Baghdad. House of Wisdom 2.0 is a flagship multimedia content platform focused on making knowledge freely accessible to Arabic speakers worldwide.

Mission & Focus

• Goal: Foster critical thinking, trust in science, and civil rights in the MENA region
• Method: Making previously inaccessible information freely available to Arabic speakers
• Content Scope: Enlightenment and educational content

Scope & Impact

• Team: 220-strong team of translators
• Content Production: Hundreds of original videos, thousands of translated articles and books annually
• Reach: More than 50 million views per year
• Translation Record: More Enlightenment and educational content translated into Arabic than any other organization
• Access: All content is free

Geographic Scope

• Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region
• Primarily serves Arabic-speaking populations
• Expanded to Afghanistan (Dari & Pashto translation programs)

University Student Translator Program

• Develops translation, professional, and leadership skills of university students
• Offers full semester of extracurricular webinars
• Focus: Translating and editing articles, critical thinking about sources, volunteer leadership
• Winners: Best students receive prizes and advancement to leadership positions in Wikipedia Arabic community
• Partnership: Wikipedia-backed initiative
• Graduates: Full-semester training with in-depth translation experience

Afghanistan Translation Program

• Expansion of core House of Wisdom 2.0 translation program
• Languages: Dari & Pashto
• Goal: Ensure Afghan people have unbiased, unrestricted access to knowledge

What They Fund/Produce

• Translated educational content (articles, books, videos)
• Original video content
• Wikipedia Arabic community development
• Leadership training for student translators
• Knowledge accessibility initiatives

Contact Information

• Website: ideasbeyondborders.org
• Address: 244 Fifth Avenue Suite 2594, New York, NY 10001
• EIN: 82-1447974

Organization Status

• Nonprofit with Special Consultative Status to the United Nations
• Platinum-level rating with Candid (formerly Guidestar)
• Recognized on Charity Navigator

University Student Translator Program Application

While specific detailed application procedures are not fully outlined in the website content, the program structure indicates:

Eligibility

• University students from Middle East and North Africa region
• Commitment to House of Wisdom 2.0 values (critical thinking, science, civil rights)
• Interest in translation, professional development, and volunteer leadership

Program Components

• Duration: Full semester
• Format: Extracurricular webinars (online)
• Training Includes:
  • Translation and article editing techniques
  • Critical thinking about sources
  • Volunteer community leadership
  • Professional development
  • Leadership skills

Advancement Opportunities

• Best-performing students receive prizes
• Top students advance to leadership positions in Wikipedia Arabic community
• Generation of new Wikipedia volunteers

To Apply: Contact Ideas Beyond Borders directly for current application deadlines and submission procedures.