Zohar Iancu

Zohar Iancu serves as a Researcher at the Research Centre for Communication and Culture (CECC) within the Faculty of Human Sciences at the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP), concurrently pursuing doctoral studies in Culture Studies focused on Israeli immigration to Portugal.

Her academic qualifications include:

• B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo
• M.A. in Culture Studies - Performance and Creativity from Universidade Católica Portuguesa
• Diploma in Research and Documentary Screenplay from the Open University of Israel

Her research integrates performative methodologies with critical analysis of symbolic boundaries shaping cultural, political, and physical realities. Specializing in visual culture and feminist theories, she examines how liminality operates within migration contexts and collective memory frameworks, particularly through the lens of Israeli-Portuguese cultural transitions. This interdisciplinary approach bridges artistic practice with sociological inquiry.

Recent publications demonstrate consistent thematic focus on boundary negotiation, with 2019-2021 works analyzing Israeli cultural identity and Portuguese societal structures through collaborative visual research. Her scholarship reveals evolving methodologies incorporating community-based participatory techniques and performative knowledge production.

She leads two active research projects: "We should all be pioneers!" exploring visual collaboration with Israeli immigrants in Portugal, and "A Portrait of a Woman: Israelis in Alentejo" documenting feminine voices through community engagement. Additionally, she contributes to the 2021-2027 post-doctoral fellowship program on Integral Human Development, focusing on migrant experiences and spiritual distress.

Affiliated with CECC, she collaborates extensively with artists and researchers through community-based initiatives, often presenting at international forums on liminality, exile, and cultural resistance while developing visual research frameworks that challenge conventional academic boundaries.