Laura Bottini

Laura Bottini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities at the University of Catania, where she teaches Islamic Studies, History of Islamic Countries, and History of the Countries of Mediterranean Africa and the Middle East at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She is affiliated with several prestigious research institutions, including the Carlo Alfonso Nallino Institute for the Orient, the Society for Middle Eastern Studies (SeSaMO), the European Union of Arabs and Islamists (UEAI), and is a founding member of the Arab-Christian Research Group. She also serves on the editorial boards of the book series “Islamic Sicily: texts, linguistic and literary research” and the journal "Oriente Moderno".

Her research centers on medieval Islamic religious minorities, particularly Shi'ite communities, with deep expertise in hadith criticism, Quranic exegesis, Arabic onomastics, and Imami prosopography. She has also explored the dynamics of medieval Islamic-Christian dialogue. Her scholarly work is reflected in her participation in numerous international conferences and leadership in organizing major academic events such as the XIII Annual Conference of SeSaMO and thematic workshops on Arab culture and the Arab Springs.

She has been recognized through national academic qualifications for both Associate and Full Professor roles in the L-OR/10 disciplinary sector. Her academic trajectory includes prior positions as a Contract Professor of Islamic Studies and a Researcher in History of Islamic Countries. She has supervised several graduate theses on topics such as women in Islam, child marriage, political activism in Shi'ism, and the Arab Spring, demonstrating her mentorship in contemporary Islamic and Middle Eastern studies.

Laura Bottini is a member of the Doctoral College in Asian and African Civilizations at Sapienza University of Rome, underscoring her national academic influence. She has received multiple research fellowships, including from the European Science Foundation and the Institut français d’Etudes arabes in Damascus, and conducted archival research at the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Her educational background includes a PhD in History of Islam from Sapienza University of Rome, a degree in Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (Arabic, Persian, Syrian dialect), and advanced diplomas in Arabic language and culture from institutions in Damascus and Rome.

• Carlo Alfonso Nallino Institute for the Orient
• Society for Middle Eastern Studies (SeSaMO)
• European Union of Arabs and Islamists (UEAI)
• Groupe International de Recherche sur l'Arabe de Sicile (GIRAS)
• Research Center for Studies on the Contemporary Islamic World and Africa (CoSMICA)
• Arab-Christian Research Group (founding member)

She has promoted and coordinated scientific initiatives such as the conference series "The Muslim world: old or new conflicts" and "Arab Springs" study days. She has also co-organized major international conferences including "Dialogue in Arab culture" (2012), the SeSaMO Annual Conference on "Migrants" (2016), "The Romance and the Oriental Middle Ages" (2017), and "The Middle Ages and the Modern Era" (2019). Her ongoing academic engagement and leadership in research groups and editorial boards highlight her active and influential role in the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies.