Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, has launched an ambitious Manuscript Digitisation Project aimed at preserving and providing global access to its invaluable collection of handwritten texts. The university plans to digitise its entire archive of 3,800 rare manuscripts, housed in the central library, in technical collaboration with Juma Al-Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage, Dubai, UAE.
Under this initiative, each manuscript will be digitised and meticulously catalogued, complete with rich metadata to enable easy discovery and research. A descriptive catalogue, along with select sample pages, will be made available in open access, allowing researchers worldwide to identify materials relevant to their academic pursuits.
Highlighting the importance of the project, Professor (Dr.) M. Afshar Alam, Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, emphasised the critical role of digitisation in preserving India’s rich cultural and scholarly heritage for future generations. This strategic initiative marks a significant step in Jamia Hamdard’s ongoing mission to promote research, preserve heritage, and foster international collaboration in the academic domain, Professor Alam said.
He said while Jamia Hamdard has already established a global presence, making the descriptive catalogue of manuscripts available on an open-access platform will further elevate our reputation as an institution of excellence.