معرفی
Einar Wigen is a Professor of Turkish studies and Research Director at the Institute for Culture and Society (IKOS), University of Oslo. He specializes in Ottoman and Turkish political history, conceptual history, and the socio-political impact of epidemics. His work bridges disciplines like international relations, historical sociology, and medical history. Wigen holds a PhD from the University of Oslo (2014) and has held fellowships at institutions such as Harvard-Koç Ottoman Summer School and the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul.
- Education:
- PhD, Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oslo (2014)
- MA, Political Science, University of Oslo (2009)
- MA, Peace and Conflict Studies, European University Center for Peace Studies (2005)
- Bachelor’s Competency in Turkish Language (2007)
- Research Projects:
- ERC Synergy Grant-funded project reconstructing plague drivers in Eurasia (1300–1900)
- EPIDEMICS (2018–23) and LIFETIMES (2018–23)
- "Synchronizing the World" (2015–18), focusing on Ottoman historiography
- Key Publications:
- The Steppe Tradition in International Relations (2018, with Iver B. Neumann)
- State of Translation: Turkey in Interlingual Relations (2018)
- Awards/Grants:
- Recipient of ERC Synergy Grant (2020–present)
- Professional Roles:
- Head of PhD Program, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (2022–24)
- Board Member, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (2021–24)
Wigen’s research interests span early Turkic state-formation, temporalities of epidemics, and the Ottoman Empire’s transformation into modern Turkey. His work analyzes how political concepts and medical metaphors shaped state-building processes. He advises PhD students and mentors MSCA projects on topics like political authoritarianism in Turkey and conceptual histories of tradition in the Arab world.
