Youssef Yacoubi

Youssef Yacoubi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Seton Hall University, where he also directs the Arabic Studies Program and co-directs the Middle Eastern and North African Studies program. He holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Nottingham and has taught at institutions including Princeton, Rutgers, Ohio State University, and Dukuz Eylül University in Turkey. His research focuses on intersections between Mediterranean, Islamic, Arab, British, and North American traditions, with a specialization in comparative literature, critical theory, and postcolonial studies. He has authored The Play of Reasons: The Sacred and the Profane in Salman Rushdie’s Fiction and published widely on contemporary Arab literature, Middle Eastern politics, and cultural studies.

Education:

• PhD, Comparative Literature (Critical Theory), University of Nottingham, 2003
• MA, Essex University, 1996 (Literature: Critical and Cultural Studies)
• BA, Ibn Zoher University, 1993 (English Literature)

Research Interests: His work bridges Islamic medieval and modern thought with postcolonial critique, examining topics such as:

• Arab-American literature and identity
• Middle Eastern and North African politics
• Colonial/postcolonial conflicts between Morocco and Algeria
• Islamic theology in literature
• US-Morocco diplomatic relations

Key Contributions:

• Edited Journal of the Society for Contemporary Thought and the Islamicate World (2017-2019)
• Lead study abroad programs to Morocco since 2006
• Recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Member Award in Teaching (Ohio State University, 2012)

Recent Work: Recent publications include critical analyses of postcolonial theory through an Islamic lens, studies on contemporary Arab theater, and explorations of crisis narratives in Arabic and Arab-American literature.