Julia Zakkou

Professor Julia Zakkou serves in the Department of Philosophy within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf since October 2023. Her institutional responsibilities include coordination of the DFG research network on the semantics and metasemantics of context-sensitive language and affiliation with the Institute of Philosophy.

Her research spans philosophy of language (implicatures, presuppositions, indexicality, contextualism/relativism) and epistemology (knowledge/belief ascriptions, introspection principles). Key methodological focuses include the semantics-pragmatics interface, conditionals, and modal semantics. Recent work explores linguistic creativity in communication through DFG-funded projects.

Her publication trends emphasize semantic precision in manipulative language (e.g., dogwhistles), presupposition theory, and deniability frameworks. Broad disciplinary intersections include cognitive science, ethics, and formal linguistics with recurring sub-themes of context sensitivity and fragmented mental states.

• Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship (UC Berkeley)
• Fellow of the Centre for Advanced Studies 'Human Abilities'

She leads a research team at HHU and coordinates the DFG-funded CRC project 'In a Roundabout Way – Theory and Practice of Indirect Communication' alongside 'Open Texture As a Source of Semantic Creativity'. Past grants include DFG research network funding and Humboldt Fellow hosting. Editorial roles include area editor for Ergo and board membership for Semantics and Pragmatics.

Her research ecosystem includes the 'InFraMinds Project' on insincerity for fragmented minds and collaboration with European institutes (LOGOS Barcelona, Arché St Andrews, Institut Jean Nicod Paris).