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Orwin Martin is an Associate Professor of Somali Language and Literature at the University of Naples 'L'Orientale', Department of Asia, Africa and Mediterranean. He holds a First Class Honors degree in Arabic and Amharic from SOAS (1986) and a PhD in Somali Phonology (1994). Previously, he served as Senior Lecturer at SOAS (2008–2020) and held various administrative roles including Head of Department (2011–2014). His research focuses on Somali poetry's linguistic and aesthetic dimensions, including meter analysis, Arabic influences, and literary translation. He has published extensively on Somali poets like Hadraawi and Weedhsame, and collaborates with international institutions like the Poetry Translation Centre. Teaching spans Somali language at all levels, comparative literature, and translation studies. He has organized conferences, including the 2018 Somali Studies Congress in Hargeysa, and contributed to academic roles such as editorial boards for African Languages and Cultures and the Journal of Somali Studies. Awards include a certificate from Hargeisa Youth Development Association for outreach work.

• Somali Poetry
• African Languages and Literatures
• Linguistics
• +3 more

Sadam Issa serves as Associate Professor of Arabic Studies within Michigan State University's Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures (College of Arts & Letters). He teaches comprehensive Arabic language sequences from first-year through fourth-year levels, alongside specialized courses in Arabic society, literature, media, and Levantine dialects, while directing MSU's Arabic Study Abroad Program in Amman, Jordan. As a certified Oral Proficiency Interviewer (ACTFL), he actively advances language assessment standards. His research integrates discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and visual rhetoric with language pedagogy, prominently featuring Arabic political cartoons—currently the subject of a book project—and comics-based instructional methods. Investigations span classroom anxiety, technology-enhanced learning, politeness strategies in Jordanian advertisements, and revolutionary folk music, revealing consistent focus on sociocultural dimensions of Arabic communication. Recent publications demonstrate interdisciplinary convergence: visual media (political cartoons/comics) increasingly informs language education research, while sociolinguistic analyses of Arabic media evolve toward comparative cultural studies, particularly regarding conflict representation and religious discourse. Scientific recognition includes: Open Educational Resources (OER) Leadership Awards (Michigan State University, 2021) Honor Instruction Award (Michigan State University, 2021) Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (U.S. Department of State, 2006-2007) Issa pioneers curriculum innovation through OER textbooks for first/second-semester Arabic and hybrid learning models, receiving institutional awards for educational leadership. His study abroad program and OPI certification underscore commitment to experiential learning and proficiency-based assessment.

• Arabic Studies
• Political Cartoons
• Discourse Analysis
• +4 more

Professor Muhammad Abdel-Haleem is a distinguished scholar at SOAS University of London's School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, specializing in Qur'anic studies and Islamic thought. With a career spanning over five decades, he maintains an active research profile with publications extending into 2025, demonstrating his continued scholarly engagement. His research interests focus on Qur'anic linguistics, translation methodologies, and contemporary applications of Islamic scripture. Professor Abdel-Haleem examines structural coherence in the Qur'an, semantic challenges in translation, and the relevance of Qur'anic teachings to modern issues including environmental sustainability, gender relations, and pandemic responses. His work bridges classical Islamic scholarship with contemporary academic approaches. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on Qur'anic hermeneutics with increasing attention to contemporary applications. His 2023-2025 works address environmental concerns in Hajj rituals, pandemic responses through Qur'anic interpretation, and gender relations, demonstrating how classical Islamic texts can inform modern ethical and practical challenges. His methodological approach emphasizes linguistic precision while maintaining sensitivity to cultural and historical contexts. Professor Abdel-Haleem supervises graduate research at SOAS, with recent theses examining topics like Muslim minority fiqh and gender relations in the Qur'an. His editorial work includes the Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies (2020), establishing him as a leading authority in the field. His professional activities include presentations at major academic forums such as the 90th Conference of the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo.

• Qur'anic Studies
• Islamic Theology
• Arabic Linguistics
• +3 more

Hakan Karateke is the Kanuni Süleyman Professor for Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies at the University of Chicago, affiliated with the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. He has taught at UChicago since 2009 and serves as Admissions Chair. His research focuses on Ottoman cultural history, philology, and the evolution of Turkish language and historiography. Ph.D., University of Bamberg (1998) His methodological expertise bridges philology and historical analysis, emphasizing textual interpretation and contextual reconstruction. He is currently working on a monograph about 19th-century Ottoman historiography and a multi-year project tracing the cultural history of the Ottoman Turkish language. Recent publications include analyses of Evliya Çelebi’s travel account construction, Ottoman anti-Judaism discourse, and protocol evolution. He co-edits two major academic series: 'Ottoman and Turkish Studies' (Academic Studies Press) and 'The Ottoman Empire and its Heritage' (Brill). His courses cover Ottoman cultural history, language studies, and Near Eastern empires. Research themes span: Ottoman historiography transformation Language perception shifts Inter-ethnic relations Manuscript analysis Political rhetoric Ceremonial studies

• Cultural History
• Ottoman Empire
• Modern Turkey
• +7 more

Adnan Mahmutovic is a Professor at the Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, Stockholm University. He has been lecturing at the department since 2007 and holds a PhD in English Literature from Stockholm University, as well as an MFA in Creative Writing from City University of Hong Kong. His academic expertise spans multiple areas: World Literature and Transnational Writing Postcolonial and Diasporic Literature Comics and Graphic Narrative Studies Creative Writing and Literary Editing Muslim and Islamic Cultural Studies Professor Mahmutovic's research focuses on the intersections of literature, space, and identity, particularly examining how writers navigate cultural and linguistic borders. His work explores how literary works claim space through dynamic relations between locations and orientations, as seen in his book "Claiming Space: Locations and Orientations in World Literatures" (2021). He has also made significant contributions to comics studies with "Visions of the Future in Comics" (2017) and "The Craft of Editing" (2018), which explores editorial practices in contemporary literature. His academic publications demonstrate a consistent engagement with postcolonial theory, particularly examining works by authors like Michael Ondaatje, Salman Rushdie, and Ben Okri. His early scholarly work "Ways of Being Free" (2012) established his interest in how migrant writers articulate existential conditions through their fictional worlds. More recent publications show an expansion into contemporary topics like Muslim-American writing, transnational superhero narratives, and Bosnian refugee experiences. Professor Mahmutovic has received numerous awards for his fiction writing and has served as a judge for prestigious literary prizes including the Neustadt Prize for Literature. He has also acted as fiction editor for "Two Thirds North," a journal of transnational writing, since 2010. His creative work complements his academic pursuits, with publications including "Thinner than a Hair" (2010), "How to Fare Well and Stay Fair" (2012), and "At the Feet of Mothers" (2020). His essay "Comics, War and Ordinary Miracles" has been adapted for BBC Radio, demonstrating the broader cultural impact of his work.

• World Literature
• Postcolonial Literature
• Transnational Writing
• +4 more

Dr. Richard Gauvain is a Lecturer at the University of Chester's Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences , based in the Humanities, Cultures and Environment department. He holds a Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Glasgow (2002) with specialization in Islamic Studies. His academic career spans universities in the Middle East, Europe, and the UK, encompassing diverse teaching roles in Religious Studies, History, Political Science, and Middle East Studies. Dr. Gauvain's research focuses on Islamic law , Salafism , ritual theory , and Anglican studies , particularly in Middle Eastern contexts. Notable themes include Salafi ritual practices in Egypt, the socio-political dynamics of Islamic reform movements, and the interplay between tradition and modernity in religious discourse. Recent work examines Egyptian Anglican Orthodoxy and UAE national identity narratives . His publications span International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church , Oxford Handbook of Ritual and Worship , and Routledge Handbook of Islamic Ritual , reflecting interdisciplinary engagement with anthropology, theology, and political science. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, but his extensive fieldwork and ethnographic contributions highlight scholarly rigor. Teaching expertise includes research methods and theory across undergraduate and graduate levels. His academic language proficiency includes Arabic (fluent) and Spanish (academic competence).

• Islamic Studies
• Religious Law
• Comparative Religions
• +5 more

Prof. Bruce FUDGE is a Full Professor at the University of Geneva within the Department of Mediterranean, Slavic and Oriental Languages and Literatures . His academic work bridges Qur'anic studies and Arabic literature , with a particular focus on the Arabian Nights tradition. He has made significant contributions to understanding scriptural hermeneutics, Islamic identity formation, and cultural symbolism through works like Qur'anic Hermeneutics: al-Tabrisi and the Craft of Commentary (2011) and A Hundred and One Nights (2016). Research Focus : Qur'anic exegesis, medieval Islamic storytelling, and sociocultural symbolism in Middle Eastern traditions Key Publications : The Turban and the Hat (2022) Non Sola Scriptura: Essays on the Qur'an and Islam (2022) Barbe et barbus (2019) His 2025 BSOAS article critiques Stephen J. Shoemaker's historical-critical approach to Quranic origins, while his 2022 Routledge publication explores mimetic representation theories. FUDGE's analysis of beard symbolism (2019) connects ancient Mesopotamian practices to modern ISIS propaganda. He has extensively reviewed works on Islamic civilization, including Robert Irwin's Ibn Khaldun biography (2018) and Shahab Ahmed's Before Orthodoxy (2017). Recent 2023 MLA publication examines teaching methodologies for the Thousand and One Nights , and his 2018 Die Welt des Islams article compares Qur'anic theocentrism with Western tragic traditions. FUDGE's 2008 Brill publication deconstructs al-Rummānī's taḍmīn concept, influencing modern Arabic literary theory.

• Arabic Literature
• Qur'anic Studies
• Islamic Civilization
• +3 more

Dr. Mara Nicosia is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Padua (Department of Historical and Geographic Sciences and the Ancient World) under the ERC Starting Grant FragArist. Previously, she held a British Academy Newton International Fellowship at Durham University (Department of Classics and Ancient History), focusing on Syriac rhetoric's intersection with Greco-Roman and Arabic traditions. Her research explores Syriac intellectual history, Semitic languages, and the transmission of Aristotelian thought. She earned her PhD from the University of Naples 'L'Orientale' with a thesis on Syriac rhetorical vocabulary between Greek and Arabic influences. Her work integrates philological analysis with historical linguistics, emphasizing language contact between Greek, Syriac, and Arabic. Notable contributions include the edited volume Syriac Lexis and Lexica (2024) and studies on Antony of Tagrit's rhetorical treatise. Nicosia has taught courses on ancient rhetoric and co-organized conferences like 'Syriac Studies in the UK' (2024). She holds grants exceeding £114k and has been awarded the Seal of Excellence (2025) and the Gorgias Book Grant (2019).

• Semitic languages
• Semitic philology
• Syriac rhetoric
• +5 more

Robyn Creswell is an Associate Professor of Comparative Literature and Director of Graduate Admissions at Yale University. He specializes in Modern Arabic Literature, Translation Studies, and Modernist Poetry, with a focus on the intersection of literature and politics in the Middle East. Creswell holds a Ph.D. from New York University (2011) and a B.A. from Brown University (1999). His research explores Cold War intellectual movements, pan-Arabism, and the role of translation in preserving literary heritage. Education: Ph.D., Comparative Literature, New York University, 2011 B.A., Comparative Literature, Brown University, 1999 (Magna cum laude) Research Interests: Creswell’s work spans Modernist Poetry, Arabic literature, translation theory, and the politics of Middle Eastern cultural production. He has written extensively on 20th-century Arab poets like Nazik al-Mala’ika and Adonis, analyzing how literary forms reflect broader sociopolitical shifts. His current project, The Ruins: Arabic Poetry in an Age of Extremes , examines post-WWII Arab intellectual history through poetic analysis. Publications: His book City of Beginnings: Poetic Modernism in Beirut (2019) won the Gaddis Smith International Book Prize. He has translated works by Iman Mersal, Sonallah Ibrahim, and Abdelfattah Kilito, including the National Translation Award-winning The Threshold (2022). His essays appear in The New York Review of Books , Daedalus , and Critical Inquiry . Awards and Fellowships: Guggenheim Fellowship (2021) National Translation Award (2023) Berlin Prize (American Academy in Berlin, 2015–16) Cullman Center Fellowship (2011–12) Teaching and Service: Creswell has taught courses on Arabic poetry, literary translation, and the global history of sports writing. He directed Yale’s Comparative Literature Department (2021–23) and served as poetry editor for The Paris Review (2011–18). He has organized academic symposia such as Translation/Tarjama (2018), exploring Arabic literary translation’s political dimensions.

• Modernist Poetry
• Modern Arabic Literature
• Theory and Practice of Translation
• +3 more

Mathieu Tillier is a Professor of Medieval Islamic History at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Sorbonne University. He specializes in early Islamic judicial systems, papyrology, and interfaith legal dynamics in the Middle East. Tillier holds a PhD from Université Lumière-Lyon 2 (2004) and has held academic positions at Aix-Marseille Université and Oxford University, supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship. His research explores the evolution of Islamic legal institutions, particularly focusing on the role of qadis and the integration of religious minorities. Notably, he received the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (2023) for his groundbreaking work The Invention of the Qadi , which examines judicial pluralism in 8th-century Egypt. His research extends to Fatimid legal practices, early Quranic codices, and material culture analysis through papyrus and silk documents. Tillier collaborates extensively with institutions like the Institut français du Proche-Orient and co-authored studies on devotional texts and legal anthropology. His work bridges historical analysis with interdisciplinary methods, emphasizing textual and material evidence to reconstruct social dynamics in early Islamic empires. Education: PhD in History, Université Lumière-Lyon 2 (2004) Aggregation in Arab Studies (1999) Accreditation to Supervise Research (2013) Research Focus: Tillier’s work centers on the judicial reforms under Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, papyrus-based legal records, and the coexistence of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian legal frameworks. He has pioneered studies on Fatimid marriage contracts, Quranic codices, and the socio-political role of qadis in medieval Egypt. His methodologies integrate textual analysis, material science, and comparative legal history. Grants & Collaborations: Supported by European Marie Skłodowska-Curie grants, Tillier has collaborated with Oxford University and the Institut français du Proche-Orient. His recent projects include co-authoring analyses on devotional texts with Naïm Vanthieghem and examining ink composition in early Quranic manuscripts. Awards: The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (2023) recognizes his monumental contribution to understanding early Islamic judicial systems. His work has been translated into multiple languages, influencing global scholarship on medieval Islamic studies.

• Medieval Islamic History
• Islamic Judicial Systems
• Early Islamic Legal Studies
• +3 more

Fouad Ben Ahmed is the Shawwaf Visiting Professor at Harvard University's Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations (NELC), serving a full academic year (2024-2025). He is a Moroccan scholar specializing in the history of philosophy and Kalam in Muslim contexts, with particular emphasis on the post-Ghazālī to post-Ibn Rushd period. He holds a PhD from Mohammed V Agdal University (2008) and has been a professor at Dar El Hadith El-Hassaniyya (affiliated with Al-Qarawiyyin University) since 2009. His research focuses on medieval Islamic intellectual history, including Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Arabic logic, and the interplay between philosophy and theology in Muslim contexts. Key works include editing Ibn Ṭumlūs’s Compendium on Logic (Brill, 2020) and co-authoring the Stanford Encyclopedia entry on Ibn Rushd with Robert Pasnau. Ben Ahmed has held visiting roles at institutions like Foggia, Aix-Marseille, and the University of Cologne. He actively contributes to international societies such as SIEPM and SIHSPAI, and leads the Philosmus Foundation. His recent publications (2021–2024) explore Ibn Rushd’s reception in Ḥanbalī contexts, Ibn Ṭumlūs’s logical methods, and the transmission of philosophical texts in medieval Islamic regions.

• History of Philosophy
• Islamic Philosophy
• Medieval Arabic Philosophy
• +3 more

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman AKTAŞ is a Turkish academic affiliated with Ankara Social Sciences University as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Islamic Sciences , Department of Basic Islamic Sciences. His career spans roles such as Research Assistant (2013–2017) at Osmaniye Korkut Ata University and Doctorate Teaching Staff (2019–2022) at his current institution. Education: PhD in Fundamental Islamic Sciences (2016–2019), Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Master's in Fundamental Islamic Sciences (2014–2016), Yıldırım Beyazıt University BA in Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge (2002–2006), Ankara University Research Interests include Arabic Language and Rhetoric , comparative linguistics between Turkish and Arabic, Islamic sciences, and interdisciplinary neuroscience studies on topics like epilepsy and laughter physiology. He has published extensively in these areas, including works on punctuation systems, prepositions, and word/sentence structures. Advising involves guiding four graduate students, including Mehmet Fevzi Sargın (PhD, 2024) and Asma Idrıs Mohammed Alfassı (Master’s, 2024). A TÜBİTAK 2211/A Domestic Doctoral Scholarship (2017–2019) supported his doctoral research. Despite his academic output, no scientific awards are documented.

• Arabic Language and Rhetoric
• Comparative Linguistics (Turkish-Arabic)
• Islamic Sciences
• +2 more

Hüseyin Çiçek is a Researcher in the Department of Arabic Language and Rhetoric at Gaziantep University's Faculty of Theology, Turkey, serving since 2019. His expertise bridges classical Arabic linguistic theory with contemporary pragmatic and syntactic analysis, focusing on Islamic scholarly traditions. His academic credentials include: Doctorate in Basic Islamic Sciences, Ankara Social Sciences University (2020-2025) Master's in Basic Islamic Sciences (with thesis), Ankara Social Sciences University (2018-2020) Licence in Islamic Sciences, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University (2013-2018) Çiçek's research centers on Arabic pragmatics, syntax, and functional grammar, with specialized investigations into medieval scholars like Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani and Sekkâkî. He examines religious expressions through sociolinguistic lenses and conducts diachronic semantic analyses of Arabic roots, connecting historical Islamic scholarship to modern linguistic discourse. His 2024-2025 publications reveal a cohesive trajectory: applying functionalist and formalist frameworks to classical Arabic texts while exploring pragmatic functions in religious contexts. This work consistently bridges Islamic intellectual heritage with contemporary linguistic theory across multiple publication formats. As a researcher on the national project "Translation of Theology Academy Journal Issues on Islamic Economics and Religious Discourse" (2021-2023), he contributed to translating Turkish theological content into Arabic and English. No information indicates student supervision or additional grant activities.

• Arabic Language
• Rhetoric
• Pragmatics
• +5 more

Tania Al Saadi is an Associate Professor of Arabic at Stockholm University's Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, where she has taught Arabic language and modern Arabic literature since 2007. She received her PhD in Arabic from Sorbonne-Nouvelle University (Paris III) in 2008. Her primary research focuses on narratology in modern Arabic literature, with particular attention to narrative techniques in Arabic novels. She has conducted extensive research on the beginnings of novels across various 20th century works, examining how narrative openings function within the broader structure. Her scholarly interests also include exile literature, representations of despotic figures, gender and feminism in literature, and contemporary representations of death and cemeteries in Iraqi novels. Dr. Al Saadi's recent publications demonstrate a growing interest in food representation in Arabic literature, culminating in her forthcoming edited volume 'Eating Words: Food in Modern Arabic literature' (2025). Her research shows a consistent pattern of examining how cultural and political realities are reflected through narrative structures and thematic concerns in Arabic fiction, with particular attention to Iraqi and Egyptian literary traditions. Current research project: 'Death in contemporary Iraqi novels' Active contributor to Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE As an educator, she teaches Arabic language and modern Arabic literature at both undergraduate and advanced levels. Her supervision of student theses demonstrates her commitment to mentoring the next generation of scholars in Arabic studies, with students working on topics ranging from identity in Iraqi literature to food representation in Lebanese young adult fiction.

• Narratology
• Modern Arabic Literature
• Arabic Novels
• +7 more

Rasha Diab serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts, holding a Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2009). Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2009 Diab's research traverses rhetorical theory, critical discourse analysis, transnational rhetoric, and rhetorics of reconciliation with emphasis on Arab-Islamic traditions. She examines how rhetorical practices operate across cultural boundaries in political discourse, peacemaking contexts, and multilingual writing environments, frequently employing qualitative methodologies to analyze power dynamics in communication. Her work bridges composition studies with postcolonial theory and religious rhetoric. Her 15 most recent publications (2017-2025) reveal three dominant trajectories: 1) Transnational religious rhetorics (particularly Arab-Islamic traditions in legal and peacemaking contexts), 2) Ethical accountability in writing pedagogy and institutional practices, and 3) Feminist and human rights discourses intersecting with microaggression interventions. The scholarship consistently applies cross-cultural rhetorical analysis to contemporary sociopolitical issues while recovering marginalized rhetorical traditions. Diab teaches advanced courses including Transnational Rhetorics (E 387M/RHE 391), Feminist Rhetoric (RHE 330D), and Peacemaking Rhetoric (RHE 330E) across multiple semesters through Fall 2025, demonstrating sustained engagement with her research areas in pedagogical practice.

• Rhetorical theory
• history and criticism
• composition studies
• +11 more