معرفی
Dr. Mirela Ivanova serves as Lecturer in Medieval History at the Department of History, School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities, University of Sheffield since 2021. Her research centers on Byzantine intellectual and social history with particular focus on Central and Eastern European medieval contexts, examining written culture, multilingualism, and cultural transmission across political boundaries.
Her scholarship operates at two interconnected levels: analyzing medieval textual production as a tool for socio-political change, and critically examining how 19th-20th century nationalist projects shaped Byzantine historiography and heritage practices. Current projects investigate how historiographical frameworks influence contemporary heritage management in Eastern European states, bridging medieval studies with postcolonial theory.
Recent publications including the monograph Inventing Slavonic: Cultures of Writing between Rome and Constantinople (2024) and co-edited volume Is Byzantine Studies a Colonialist Discipline? (2023) demonstrate methodological innovation through combining manuscript analysis with critical heritage studies. Her work consistently explores the tension between medieval textual creation and modern identity politics.
Scientific recognition includes:
- BBC/AHRC New Generation Thinker (2021)
- Junior Research Fellowship, University of Oxford
- Research Fellowship, Koç University
- Residential Fellowship, Centre for Advanced Study in Sofia
Dr. Ivanova actively engages public audiences through History Today, Los Angeles Review of Books, and BBC Radio 3 appearances. She develops university access initiatives for UK schools while teaching undergraduate courses including Byzantine Intersectionality and postgraduate Presenting the Past, emphasizing critical approaches to historical narratives and heritage.
