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Mohammad Fazlhashemi is a Professor of Islamic Theology and Philosophy at Uppsala University's Department of Theology (Systematic Theology). His work bridges Islamic intellectual traditions with contemporary issues like democracy, environmental ethics, and interreligious dialogue. Current affiliations: Uppsala University, Faculty of Theology Key research areas: Islamic political philosophy, ecotheology, gender in Islam, and theological responses to modernity Email: mohammad.fazlhashemi@teol.uu.se Recent publications highlight trends in Islamic ecoethics (e.g., Islamic Ecotheology , 2025), critical analysis of classical texts (e.g., Critical-constructive interpretation of Islamic documents , 2024), and political theology (e.g., Justifying political decisions through theological arguments , 2016). His scholarship often engages comparative frameworks, as seen in works like Occidentalism (2005) and Shiʿite Salafism? (2022). Mohammad Fazlhashemi's impact spans both academic and public discourse, with contributions to debates on Islam and modernity in outlets like Expressen and Svenska Dagbladet . His co-authored book Visdomens hus: Muslimska idévärldar 600 - 2000 (2017) demonstrates his interest in Islamic intellectual history across eras.

• Islamic Theology
• Islamic Philosophy
• Political Thought
• +4 more

Sami Al Daghistani is an Associate Professor in Contemporary Islamic Studies at Lund University's Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, a Researcher at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), and holds associate appointments at Columbia University (Middle East Institute) and the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research. His work bridges Islamic economics, environmental ethics, legal philosophy, and intellectual history, emphasizing interdisciplinary methodologies and cross-cultural analysis. Ph.D. (2017) in Islamic Studies from Leiden University, co-supervised by Columbia University and WWU Münster Postdoctoral Fellow at Norwegian School of Theology (2020-2024) Visiting Researcher at Istanbul University and Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul His research focuses on decolonizing economic thought through Islamic traditions, integrating environmental ethics, moral philosophy, and legal theory. Recent publications analyze intersections between Islamic economic cosmology, pre-modern intellectual traditions, and contemporary societal challenges. Key projects include: SWEMENA (Swedish Middle East and North Africa Network), Critical Islamic Studies consortium (founded 2021), and GreenMENA. He has received the 31st World Book of the Year Award in Islamic Studies (2024) and Islamic Economics Research Award (2024). Academic roles span teaching at Lund University (Islamology courses), guest lectures at Istanbul Forum, and leadership in international research collaborations. His translations of Ibn Baṭṭūṭa and Ibn Ṭufayl into Slovenian demonstrate linguistic expertise and cultural bridge-building.

• Islamic Economics
• Environmental Ethics
• Islamic Law
• +5 more

Abdellah Abarkan serves as Professor and Head of the Department of Physical Planning at Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) in Karlskrona, Sweden, with research centered on physical planning and urban morphology. His research focuses on urban morphology with particular expertise in Nordic urban contexts, typo-morphology, and comparative Mediterranean studies. Key contributions include methodological frameworks for analyzing historical building patterns, cross-national urban form comparisons between Sweden/Denmark and Mediterranean cities, and theoretical advancements in urbanism. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary urban design applications through the Nordic Network of Urban Morphology (NNUM). Recent publications (2021-2023) demonstrate concentrated research on Scandinavian urban form evolution, with strong emphasis on Swedish/Danish typo-morphological traditions, historical urban pattern conceptualization, and practical design applications. The work reveals consistent methodological rigor in morphological analysis while expanding into theoretical urbanism discussions. Professor Abarkan leads the ongoing TRANS-SAFE project (Transforming Road Safety in Africa), indicating strategic research expansion into Global South urban challenges. His academic leadership includes founding the Nordic Network of Urban Morphology (NNUM), facilitating cross-border research collaboration in urban form studies.

• Urban Morphology
• Urban Planning
• Physical Planning
• +3 more

Yafa Shanneik is a Visiting Professor of Islamic Studies at the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University. Her research intersects Islam, gender, and migration across Europe and the Middle East, with a focus on transnational Muslim female resistance movements and ethnographic studies of female agency in Iran and Arab Gulf states. She has secured over £350,000 (SEK 4 million) in research funding, including two British Academy grants. Current affiliation: Lund University (Centre for Theology and Religious Studies) Academic rank: Visiting Professor Her research examines how Muslim women resist power structures through aesthetic and political expressions, particularly in contexts of displacement (Syrian/Iraqi refugees in Jordan, Germany, and the UK). She contributes to debates on gendered power dynamics and sustainable development goals related to equality and justice. Scientific awards include: Two British Academy grants She collaborates with networks like the Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW 2.0) and SWEMENA, focusing on gender, migration, and cultural identity. Her work appears in publications such as the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion and Yearbook of Muslims in Europe .

• Islamic Studies
• Gender Studies
• Migration Studies
• +5 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

Henrik Nilsson is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Education at Linnaeus University, Sweden. His work focuses on multicultural education contexts, school leadership, and organizational challenges in socially diverse educational settings. He holds a PhD in Education and actively collaborates with municipalities and the Swedish National Agency for Education on policy implementation. Research Groups: Center for Cultural Sociology, Center for Educational Leadership Key Projects: Seed project on addressing racism in teacher education programs His research investigates how schools navigate ethnic and social diversity, focusing on leadership practices, school improvement processes, and intercultural competence development in teacher training. He has published extensively on topics like immigrant incorporation,pedagogy in multicultural schools, and educational governance structures.

• Multicultural Education
• Educational Leadership
• School Improvement
• +3 more

Rola El-Husseini is an Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at Lund University , affiliated with the Department of Political Science and MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World . Her work bridges political sociology, gender studies, and Middle Eastern politics. PhD from Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris (2003) Postdoc at Yale University (2004-2005) Former positions at Texas A&M University , CUNY-Graduate Center , and George Washington University Research Interests: Focuses on Middle Eastern politics , gender dynamics , sectarian conflict , and women's political representation . Current projects include analyzing Arab women's legislative challenges and UN-ESCWA commissioned works . Recent Publications examine topics like Lebanese societal divisions , women in Arab judiciaries , and gender-state conflicts . Her 2012 book Pax Syriana: Elite Politics in Postwar Lebanon remains a seminal work on post-civil war political systems. Scientific Collaborations include projects like SWEMENA and MECW 2.0 , involving 20+ researchers across Sweden, Europe, and the MENA region. She actively participates in public seminars and international conferences . Labs & Networks: Associated with CMES and Mechanical Fingerprint Lab . Leads the Qualitative Methods Lab and contributes to Swedish Middle East Network .

• Middle East Studies
• Political Sociology
• Gender and Politics
• +7 more

Mosa Sayed serves as Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in International Private and Procedural Law at Uppsala University's Department of Law, specializing in legal challenges arising from Sweden's multicultural transformation. Their work critically examines tensions between religious legal traditions and secular state systems, with particular focus on Islamic law's interaction with Swedish jurisprudence. Education: Juris Doctor in Private International Law (2010) Bachelor of Laws (2003) Research concentrates on three interconnected domains: First, international private law complexities in globalized contexts where religious legal rules confront state courts, especially regarding normative pluralism. Second, rigorous analysis of Islamic family and inheritance law systems, identifying conflicts with secular Swedish values and proposing frameworks for legal accommodation. Third, investigation of religious organizations' formal/informal legal functions, including alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and their societal implications. This tripartite approach reveals systemic tensions in multicultural legal governance while offering pragmatic pathways for coexistence. Publication trends from 2013-2019 demonstrate consistent scholarly engagement with Islamic law's practical manifestations in Swedish legal practice. Key thematic clusters include marital agreements (particularly mahr), inheritance systems across Shia/Sunni traditions, forced marriage interventions, and abortion jurisprudence within Islamic frameworks. Methodologically, the work bridges comparative law, socio-legal studies, and religious studies to expose how normative pluralism challenges state legal monopolies while proposing context-sensitive accommodation models for European legal systems. Awards: No scientific awards documented in source materials Advising and funding activities remain unspecified in available records, though research outputs indicate substantial independent scholarship and collaborative projects with scholars like Margareta Brattström and Göran Larsson. The absence of explicit grant mentions suggests institutional funding or independent research initiatives rather than major external awards. No dedicated laboratories or formal research teams are referenced, though publications indicate cross-institutional collaborations typical of Scandinavian legal academia. Research appears conducted within Uppsala University's Department of Law framework, leveraging Sweden's unique position in European religious-legal accommodation debates.

• Private International Law
• Islamic Law
• Multiculturalism and Law
• +5 more

Dr. Altea Pericoli is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Lund University's Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) and Department of Political Science, with additional affiliation to the MECW (The Middle East in the Contemporary World) project. Her research examines geopolitical dimensions of humanitarian aid, focusing on Gulf States' contributions in conflict zones and Islamic social welfare mechanisms. She earned her PhD in Institutions and Policies from Milan's Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in 2023, complemented by visiting research periods at Durham University, Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, Vienna University, Doha Institute, and Chr. Michelsen Institute. Her doctoral work earned the BRISMES Early Career Development Scholarship for monograph development. Pericoli's research centers on Islamic financing instruments (particularly zakat) for social protection in protracted crises, analyzing Gulf donors' humanitarian strategies across the Middle East, Horn of Africa, and South Asia. Her work bridges political science and Islamic studies, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals on poverty reduction and peacebuilding through examinations of religious funding mechanisms in contexts like Gaza, Somalia, and Bangladesh refugee crises. Her publication trends reveal concentrated analysis of Qatar and UAE foreign aid strategies, with growing emphasis on innovative refugee financing through Islamic instruments and the interplay between religious funding and international humanitarian frameworks. Recent works increasingly address statelessness challenges and pandemic responses using Islamic finance mechanisms. Her scholarly recognition includes: BRISMES Early Career Development Scholarship (2023) for doctoral monograph development Sir William Luce Fellowship at Durham University (2024) Pericoli actively contributes to major research initiatives as core personnel in SWEMENA (Swedish Middle East and North Africa Network) and MECW 2.0, demonstrating extensive collaboration across European and Middle Eastern institutions. While formal student supervision isn't documented, her workshop organization and conference presentations indicate active research community mentorship. Embedded within Lund University's Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, she participates in interdisciplinary networks facilitating comparative analysis of humanitarian governance and Gulf State foreign policies through projects connecting Swedish, European, and Middle Eastern academic communities.

• Humanitarian Aid
• Gulf States Foreign Policy
• Islamic Social Welfare
• +3 more

Erika Willander is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Umeå University. Her research focuses on religious change, secularization, and social consequences of mainstream religiosity. She holds a Docent qualification and has been affiliated with the Sociology of Religion research group. Her work examines topics such as Muslim communities in Sweden, digital religious practices, chaplaincy during crises, and post-religious identities. Notable projects include studies on secularization among post-Muslims and post-Christians, the role of social media in religious expression, and pandemic responses in healthcare chaplaincy. Her publications span peer-reviewed journals like Information, Communication and Society , Sociologisk forskning , and Numer , as well as edited volumes and agency reports. She collaborates frequently with Göran Larsson and David Thurfjell on interdisciplinary projects analyzing religious demographics and societal integration. Willander's research often combines quantitative analysis with qualitative insights, addressing contemporary challenges of religious pluralism and secularization theory in Nordic contexts. Her work bridges sociology of religion, digital culture studies, and public policy analysis.

• Religious Change
• Secularization
• Social Consequences of Religiosity
• +4 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

Professor Ulrich Schmiedel holds the chair in Global Christianities at Lund University's Centre for Theology and Religious Studies within the Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology. His work bridges theology with sociology, anthropology, and philosophy to examine religion's role in contemporary societal challenges. Specializes in public and political theology Research focuses on migrant/postmigrant societies and interreligious relations Editor-in-chief of Political and Public Theologies series His research methodologies integrate theological inquiry with sociological/anthropological approaches, particularly examining: Christian-Muslim relations and Islamophobia Populism's impact on religious ethics Multi-faith refugee relief networks Secularization and pluralization dynamics Critical examination of religious supremacy narratives Recent publications explore: 9/11's long-term theological implications Ethics of faith-based humanitarian acts Postmigrant ecclesiological models Critical analysis of religious violence theories Scientific recognition includes: Elected to Royal Society of Letters Lund (2024) Habilitation Prize from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2021) Member of Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton (2017) Current projects: FABRIC: Faith-Based Refugee Relief in Europe (ERC-funded, 2024-2028) COMCOM: Christian-Muslim Political Theology (2024-2026)

• Public Theology
• Political Theology
• Interreligious Relations
• +7 more

Welat Songur serves as an Associate Professor and Lecturer in Social Work within the Department of Social Sciences at Södertörn University, where he teaches social work programs and conducts research on welfare policy impacts on immigrant populations, particularly elderly care systems and integration frameworks. His research centers on the welfare state's effects on elderly immigrants' social rights, examining metropolitan housing conditions, care accessibility, and social integration through comparative studies across Stockholm, London, and Berlin. He investigates how welfare reforms shape immigrant elders' lived experiences, emphasizing cultural barriers, social networks, and policy-driven disparities in care quality across European contexts. Publication analysis from 1991-2019 reveals consistent thematic focus on elderly care evaluation, immigrant integration challenges, and welfare policy impacts, with significant contributions to national user surveys for Swedish authorities. His work bridges academic research and public sector implementation, featuring methodological innovations in comparative welfare studies and longitudinal user satisfaction assessments within elderly housing systems. With extensive public sector experience as project manager for National Board of Health and Welfare user surveys and research manager at R&D units, Songur integrates practical policy development with academic inquiry. His expertise spans municipal-state collaboration in elderly care reform, immigrant rights advocacy, and curriculum development for aging studies programs at institutions including Linköping University.

• Social Policy
• Welfare State
• Elderly Care
• +2 more

Kurt Villads Jensen is a Professor of Medieval History at Stockholm University's Department of History and serves as Director of the Center for Medieval Studies. He is an active participant in the interdisciplinary Medieval Seminar, where researchers from various disciplines gather to discuss the latest research on the Middle Ages. Professor Jensen's research focuses on several key areas of medieval history, including crusades and military history, cultural encounters during the Middle Ages, church and theological history, and comparative studies of Nordic and Iberian history. His current projects examine how war was understood and argued in the Middle Ages, particularly during the High Middle Ages; the sacralization of landscapes following military conquests; Baltic Sea crusades from the early 12th century to the Reformation period; and Scandinavian medieval history. His scholarly work investigates the theological foundations of holy war, the transformation of physical environments and mental perceptions following conquest, and the comparative approaches to understanding medieval religious conflicts across different regions of Europe. Professor Jensen's extensive publication record demonstrates consistent focus on medieval military history, religious conflict, and cultural exchange. His recent works explore Scandinavian crusades, Baltic Sea region history, Christian-Muslim relations, and the theological underpinnings of holy war. His scholarly contributions reveal a particular interest in how religious justification was used for military campaigns, the transformation of landscapes following conquest, and comparative approaches to understanding medieval religious conflicts across different European regions. As Director of the Center for Medieval Studies and active participant in the Medieval Seminar, Professor Jensen collaborates with researchers across disciplines to advance understanding of the medieval period. His leadership in these academic communities facilitates interdisciplinary dialogue and promotes innovative approaches to medieval studies, bringing together scholars from history, theology, literature, and other fields to examine the complex dynamics of the medieval world.

• Medieval History
• Crusades and Military History
• Cultural Encounters in the Middle Ages
• +6 more

Ann af Burén is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department in the Department of Historical and Contemporary Studies at Södertörn University. She holds dual roles as Head of the Study of Religion and Archaeology and Assistant Professor in Religious Studies. Her work bridges secular and religious studies, focusing on semi-secular Swedes and Muslim integration in Sweden. Her recent research examines material religiosity among secularized Muslims and the impact of secularization on cultural Christianity. Education: PhD in Religious Studies (dissertation: Living Simultaneity: Religion Among Semi-Secular Swedes ). Research emphasizes intersectional approaches combining secular studies and Lived Islam. Current projects explore co-production of secularity among Swedish Muslims. Research Interests: Secularization patterns, cultural Christianity, Lived Islam, material religion, and socio-religious dynamics in Sweden. Methodologically grounded in ethnography and qualitative analysis. Publications (2020–2023) focus on pandemic-era religious practices, materiality of faith, and identity negotiation. No active projects noted at present.

• Religious Studies
• Secularization
• Lived Islam
• +3 more