Irene Schneider

Irene Schneider is a Research Fellow and Head of the ERC Advanced Grant 2024 project '(De)Colonizing Sharia?' at the Max-Weber-Kolleg, University of Erfurt. Her work focuses on the transformation of Islamic law (Sharia) in the Middle East and North Africa during colonial and postcolonial periods. She leads interdisciplinary research investigating codification, jurisprudence, and judicial institutions across Egypt, Morocco, Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Iran, and Crimea. Her project challenges Eurocentric legal scholarship through collaboration with regional experts.

Her research interests include Islamic law, legal history, colonial studies, and decolonial legal frameworks. Key projects explore gender dynamics in Palestinian legal discourse and the intersection of international law with Sharia systems. She holds prominent roles in academic networks, including the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies.

• Key Projects: ERC Advanced Grant 2024, Studies on Palestinian legal pluralism, Iranian legal discourse analysis
• Awards: ERC Advanced Grant 2024

Her recent publications analyze legal pluralism, gender constructs in Palestinian education, and the evolution of Sharia in colonial contexts. She collaborates with institutions across Europe and the MENA region to produce transformative legal scholarship.