Stephan Guth

Stephan Guth is a Professor in the Department for Culture Studies and Oriental Languages at the University of Oslo, specializing in Middle Eastern Studies. He has been a faculty member since 2007 and was promoted to Professor in 2009. His academic career spans multiple European institutions including the University of Bern (1996-2007), where he completed his habilitation in 2003, and Munich University (2005-2006), where he served as guest lecturer and vice-head of department.

Professor Guth's educational background includes studies in 'Islamwissenschaft,' Modern German Literature, and Philosophy at the universities of Bonn and Tübingen in Germany. He earned his MA in 1987 and PhD in 1992. Prior to his academic appointments in Switzerland and Norway, he was a researcher at the German Institute for Oriental Studies in Istanbul and Beirut (1992-1996) and a guest lecturer at Freie Universität Berlin (1993).

His research focuses on Modern Arabic and Turkish literature, Comparative Literature, and Etymology and Conceptual History of Arabic. Professor Guth is particularly known for his work on the EtymArab project, an etymological dictionary of the Arabic language and culture that examines linguistic roots in relation to Arab mental and cultural history. His scholarly approach combines philological precision with cultural analysis, exploring how language reflects and shapes societal transformations. He has published extensively on topics ranging from Arabic etymology to literary modernity and cultural concepts.

Professor Guth's recent publications demonstrate a consistent engagement with emerging subjectivity in Middle Eastern literature, particularly during the 'long 19th century' and the Nahda period. His work spans etymological studies of Arabic roots, analyses of literary movements, and examinations of cultural concepts like generosity, emotions, and national identity. The EtymArab project represents a major contribution to Arabic linguistics, while his analyses of post-Arab Spring realities offer valuable insights into contemporary Middle Eastern societies.

• Secretary General (2006-08, 2014-) and former President (2008-12) of The European Association for Modern Arabic Literature (EURAMAL)
• Co-editor of mîzân - Studies in the literatures of the Islamic World
• Co-editor of Porta Linguarum Orientalium
• Co-editor of Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies
• Consultant for 'Arabic Literature' in Store norske leksikon

Professor Guth teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on Middle Eastern literatures, including MØNA1300 (Literature History and Language Relations in the Middle East and North Africa) and various specialized topics in Arabic Studies at the master's level. His teaching reflects his research expertise, particularly in modern Arabic fiction, dramatic arts, and key concepts of Arabic language and culture. He leads several ongoing research projects including 'An Etymological Dictionary of Arabic Language and Culture (EtymArab),' 'The Modern Subject Sensing its Agency,' 'Civilizing Emotions,' and 'In 2016: How it felt to live in the Arab World five years after the 'Arab Spring.' These projects examine the intersection of language, literature, and cultural history in the Middle East across different historical periods.