Charles G. Häberl

Charles G. Häberl is a Professor at Rutgers University, affiliated with the Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures (AMESALL) and the Department of Religion. He holds dual roles as a scholar and administrator, having served as Chair of AMESALL (2013–2019), Undergraduate Director (2023–2024), and Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (2009–2012). His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University (2006), an A.M. from Harvard (2003), and an A.B. from Brown University (1998).

Dr. Häberl’s research focuses on Middle Eastern languages (ancient and modern), linguistic minorities, and constructed languages like Volapük and Esperanto. He has conducted extensive fieldwork with speakers of Semitic and Iranian languages, and his work spans disciplines such as palaeography, epigraphy, and documentary linguistics. Key contributions include the first detailed account of the Neo-Mandaic dialect of Khorramshahr (2009) and a critical edition of the Mandaean Book of John (2020).

His awards include the Anna-Maria Kellen Fellowship (2016), Willis F. Doney Membership at the Institute for Advanced Study (2022), and a three-year term as President of the International Linguistic Association (2021–2023). He has secured grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the U.S. Department of Education, including a historic Title VI grant for Iranian Studies (2007).

Teaching and mentorship are central to his career. He offers courses on Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Aramaic), folklore, and religious minorities, and has advised graduate students in Jewish Studies and Neo-Aramaic dialects. He also teaches at international institutions, including Ukraine’s National University Ostroh Academy and Russia’s Higher School of Economics.

Dr. Häberl’s affiliations include the American Oriental Society, Middle East Studies Association, and the North American Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics. He has organized conferences such as the NACAL annual meetings in 2007, 2008, and 2012, and is a frequent speaker at academic gatherings.