Michal Uhrin

Michal Uhrin is a Lecturer at the Department of Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava. Holding a PhD in Ethnology (2020) and Mgr/Bc. in Ethnology (2016/2014), he specializes in anthropology of religion, evolutionary anthropology, and cognitive anthropology.

• Education: Bc. (2014), Mgr. (2016), PhD (2020) in Ethnology at Comenius University
• Current projects: VEGA grants on religious rituals, public goods research, and peer learning methodologies
• International collaborations: Jagiellonian University (Poland), Masaryk University (Czech Republic), Utrecht Network

Research Focus: Combines evolutionary theory with ethnographic methods to analyze religious rituals as social regulators, cooperation dynamics in rural Slovakia, and subtle signaling in community integration. His work spans cognitive approaches to religion, kinship studies, and public goods management.

Publications (2024): Examined ritual theory (with D. Xygalatas), edited the Religion in Flux double issue, and analyzed spousal selection in mixed communities. Current projects explore LEVYNA (Brno) experimental religious research and Slovak volunteerism during pandemics.

• Award: 2018 Laureate of Student Personality of Slovakia (category: Philosophy/Sociology)
• Editorial: Editor of Ethnological Debates journal

Teaching Innovation: Pioneered peer learning strategies in evolutionary anthropology courses using museum and zoo-based activities, demonstrating improved student engagement and learning outcomes through group work and experiential education.