Souadou Lagdaf

Souadou Lagdaf is an Associate Professor of History of Islamic Countries at the Department of Humanities, University of Catania, where she also contributes to the PhD program in Heritage and Cultural Production Sciences. Since 2024, she has held a collaborative role at the Institute of Mediterranean Studies (ISMED) of the National Research Council (CNR). She previously served as Vice President of the Special Teaching Structure of Foreign Languages and Literatures of Ragusa (2020–2022) and has held research positions at the University of Catania since 2011.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science – International Politics, University of Catania, 2004 (110 cum laude)
• PhD in Contemporary History, Department of Analysis of Political, Social and Institutional Processes, University of Catania, 2008
• National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor (Sector 10/N1), 2018

Her research focuses on Western Sahara, the Sanusiyya brotherhood in Libya, the social anthropology of customs and religious commandments in Mauritanian society, gender studies, and immigration. She employs interdisciplinary methods combining historical analysis, oral history, and anthropological fieldwork. Her work emphasizes marginalized voices, particularly women in conflict zones and postcolonial societies.

The trends in her recent publications reflect a sustained engagement with gender, decolonization, and religious interpretation in North Africa. She frequently analyzes how sacred texts are used to justify gender hierarchies and explores the socio-political dimensions of Islamic practices in postcolonial contexts. Her scholarship bridges historical inquiry with contemporary social issues, particularly in Libya, Western Sahara, and Mauritania.

Scientific Memberships and Editorial Roles:

• Editorial Board, Meridiana (2024)
• Member, Centro Universitario de estudios sobre el Sahara Occidental (CESO), University of Santiago de Compostela (2022)
• Board of Directors, Sicilian Institute for the History of Contemporary Italy Carmelo Salanitro (ISSICO) (2018)
• Member, Western Sahara International Academic Observatory (OUISO) (2017)
• Co-Director, Editorial Series Intelligere: mediare tra identità e alterità, Agorà & Co, Lugano (2016)

Lagdaf has secured multiple research grants and leads projects on gender, migration, and decolonization. She has advised students on topics such as Islamic pillars and has conducted extensive field research, including oral history collection in Sahrawi refugee camps (Algeria) and Mauritania. She actively organizes academic events, particularly on women’s issues in Islamic societies.

Laboratories and Research Groups:

• Collaborative researcher at CNR-ISMed (Institute of Mediterranean Studies)
• Member of research teams on gender, migration, and postcolonial studies at the University of Catania
• Coordinator of the "Voci di Donne" conference series on women, peace, and subordination