Dr. Zeynep Güngör is a historian affiliated with Akdeniz University, specializing in medieval Mediterranean studies. Her work explores cross-cultural interactions, economic systems, and political dynamics of the Crusades era. Focuses on Turko-Caucasian and Crusader-Mamluk relations Examines Byzantine reforms and Carolingian religious governance Studies maritime archaeology and slave trade networks Her research spans journals like VOPROSY ISTORII , MESOS , and Cappadocia Journal of History , with conference participation at international symposia. While specific awards are undocumented, her 19 publications reflect sustained academic output. She has advised 7 thesis projects and contributed to open-access scholarship.
Dušan Hajduk-Veljković is a lecturer for special tasks at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Faculty of Philosophy II, Institute for Slavic Studies and Speech Science. He has held positions at three major German universities since 1989, specializing in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian language instruction and research. 1981-1984: BA in General Literature, Faculty of Philology, Belgrade 1988-1994: MA in Slavic Studies, University of Saarland His research focuses on South Slavic phraseology, Church Slavonic textual transmission, and literary translation. Notably, he contributed to the Slavic Creeds project and has been examining translation practices in Balkan contexts. His 15 most recent publications reveal expertise in: phraseological model analysis (1998), textual criticism of medieval Slavic texts (1997-2002), and cross-cultural translation studies (2004-2006). The research spans ethnolinguistic reconstruction, doctrinal text analysis, and modernist literature adaptation. Translation grants from ProHelvetia (2004), Goethe-Institut (2005), and German Literature Fund (2006) As a certified interpreter since 1989 and examiner at the Leipzig Regional School Authority since 2004, he bridges academic research with practical language expertise. His work with Roland Marti and Angela Richter demonstrates sustained interdisciplinary collaboration.
Tijana Krstic serves as Professor in the Medieval Studies Department at Central European University (CEU), which relocated from Budapest to Vienna in 2020. She has been continuously affiliated with CEU since 2009, progressing from Assistant Professor (2009-2011) to Associate Professor (2011-2023) before her promotion to full Professor in August 2023. Her academic foundation includes a BA from the American University in Bulgaria (1998) and a PhD in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2004). Her doctoral research examined conversion narratives in the Ottoman Balkans, forming the basis of her 2011 monograph. Professor Krstic specializes in trans-imperial cultural exchanges, with research focusing on religious conversion dynamics, Ottoman-Spanish Muslim refugee experiences, and the circulation of texts and religio-political concepts across early modern Eurasian boundaries. Her work bridges Ottoman, Mediterranean, and European historical scholarship through comparative analysis of empire formation and confessional identity. Her ERC-funded OTTOCONFESSION project (2015-2022) fundamentally reshaped scholarly understanding of Sunni orthodoxy development in the Ottoman Empire. She currently represents CEU on the Board of Directors for the Austrian Science Fund's Cluster of Excellence 'Eurasian Transformations' (2023-2028), coordinating cross-institutional research initiatives. 2023-2028: Board Member, Cluster of Excellence 'Eurasian Transformations' (FWF) 2015-2022: Principal Investigator, ERC Consolidator Grant 'OTTOCONFESSION' 2019-2020: Fellow, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin 2017: Distinguished Teaching Award, CEU 2009-2010: National Endowment for Humanities Fellowship 2009-2010: American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship As Principal Investigator for the OTTOCONFESSION project, she directed a multinational research team whose publications transformed discourse on Ottoman religious politics. Her current leadership in the Eurasian Transformations cluster fosters innovative comparative research across European and Asian historical contexts through coordinated teaching programs and joint publications.
Tijana Krstic is a Professor in the Department of Historical Studies at Central European University (CEU), where she conducts research and teaches on the early modern Ottoman Empire and its religious, cultural, and social dynamics. She is affiliated with the Doctoral School of History and the Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies and the Center for Religious Studies at CEU. From 2015 to 2021, she led the ERC-funded OTTOCONFESSION project, which explored the formation of Sunni orthodoxy in the Ottoman Empire and its connections with Christian confessional developments in Europe. PhD in History, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1998–2004) MA in History, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1998–1999) B.A. in History and Southeast European Studies, American University in Bulgaria (1994–1998) Her research focuses on religious conversion, confessionalization, Ottoman-Muslim identity, and cross-cultural interactions in the early modern Mediterranean. She examines how narratives of conversion shaped imperial identity and religious orthodoxy, and how Ottoman intellectual and religious life evolved in dialogue with broader Eurasian developments. Her work often draws on understudied sources, including conversion narratives, polemical texts, and diplomatic records. Her recent publications reflect a sustained engagement with the themes of religious identity, orthodoxy, and interconfessional dynamics. She has published on Morisco refugees, Ottoman catechisms, intertextuality in religious polemics, and the role of interpreters in imperial diplomacy. Her research demonstrates how the Ottoman Empire was deeply interconnected with early modern European religious transformations. European Research Council Consolidator Grant (OTTOCONFESSION project, 2015–2020) Krstic has advised and collaborated with numerous scholars and research teams. She currently represents CEU on the Board of Directors of the Cluster of Excellence 'Eurasian Transformations' (EurAsia), funded by the Austrian Science Fund, coordinating research and teaching with international partners. Her work continues to shape the field of Ottoman and early modern religious history.
Katalin Szende is a Professor in the Department of Historical Studies at Central European University (CEU), where she also serves as Director of the Cultural Heritage Studies Program and is affiliated with the Doctoral School of History and the CEU Democracy Institute. She is based in Vienna and holds a PhD from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, and completed her habilitation at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary (KEE). Her research focuses on medieval towns in the Carpathian Basin and Central Europe, with particular interest in urban society, demography, literacy, everyday life, topography, and material culture. She is deeply involved in major scholarly projects such as the Hungarian Atlas of Historic Towns , where she serves as series editor, and is a board member of the International Commission for the History of Towns. She is also the founding president of the Medieval Central Europe Research Network (MECERN), promoting interdisciplinary collaboration across the region. Her recent publications reflect a strong trend in comparative urban history, administrative literacy, and the material culture of writing in medieval towns. Her work often bridges archaeology, legal history, and urban studies, emphasizing the interplay between physical space and institutional development. She has authored influential books such as Trust, Authority, and the Written Word in the Royal Towns of Medieval Hungary (2018) and co-edited volumes like Medieval Buda in Context (2016) and Medieval East Central Europe in a Comparative Perspective (2017). PhD, ELTE Budapest Habilitation, KEE Budapest She has received recognition through extensive publication and leadership in international academic networks. Her editorial and organizational roles highlight her impact on shaping research agendas in medieval urban studies. Katalin Szende has supervised and collaborated with numerous scholars, contributing to the training of the next generation of historians, though specific student names are not listed in the provided texts. Her research has been supported by collaborations with institutions such as Heidelberg University and the Academy of Sciences, and she frequently contributes to international conferences and edited volumes. She leads and participates in significant research teams, including the Hungarian Atlas of Historic Towns project and MECERN, fostering cross-border scholarly exchange and advancing the study of Central European urbanism.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Hahn-Bruckart is Professor of Church History at the Faculty of Theology, University of Rostock, a position he has held since 2021. He previously served as a Research Associate at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (2011–2019), the Institute of European History in Mainz (2010–2011), and the University of Hamburg (2020–2021). He completed his habilitation (Dr. theol. habil.) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in 2020 and was a Private Lecturer there. His academic journey began with studies in Protestant Theology at the University of Bonn, the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem (on a DAAD scholarship), and the University of Kiel, where he earned his doctorate (Dr. theol.) in 2011, winning the Faculty Prize for his dissertation. His research focuses on Church and Dogmatic History, with particular emphasis on Pietism , revival movements , free churches , Reformation history , transconfessional and transatlantic religious exchange , and the cultural history of religious emotions . He has made significant contributions to the study of 19th-century transatlantic evangelical networks, the history of tract societies, and the spatial and social dynamics of early Reformation communities. The trends in his publications reveal a consistent engagement with marginalized religious movements, the formation of religious identities, and the interplay between theology and social context. His work spans monographs, critical editions, editorial leadership (e.g., Pietism Handbook ), and numerous scholarly articles in leading journals and collected volumes, covering themes from emotional cultures in Methodism to church-state relations in free church theology. Faculty Prize of the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel for Dissertation Prof. Hahn-Bruckart has been actively involved in academic administration, serving as Vice Dean and Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Theology, University of Rostock, from 2021 to 2024. He has led and contributed to multiple editorial projects, including bibliographies on Free Church theology and co-editing the Ebernburg-Hefte . His work reflects a strong commitment to both scholarly research and the dissemination of theological knowledge through teaching, leadership, and public engagement. He is currently on part-time parental leave and plans a research semester in the summer semester of 2025. He is engaged in ongoing editorial and research collaborations, particularly in the fields of Pietism and Reformation history, and continues to publish extensively in German and international academic venues.
Ines G. Županov is a Research Director at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Director of the Centre d'Etudes de l'Inde et de l'Asie du Sud (CEIAS) at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. She has held academic positions at the University of California, Berkeley, Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and regularly teaches at EHESS on mission history in the early modern world. As a Käte Hamburger Kolleg Visiting Research Fellow in 2012-13, she investigated Jesuit Missions in South Asia during the 16th-18th century. Her educational background includes a PhD in History from the University of California, Berkeley (1991), an MA in Asian Studies from the same institution (1986), and a BA in Comparative Literature and Indology from the University of Zagreb, Croatia (1979). She also held a post-doctoral fellowship at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London funded by the European Science Foundation (1996-1998). Županov's research focuses on the social and cultural history of South Asia, particularly mission history in the early modern world and the history of science in colonial contexts. Her work examines how missionaries produced, used, and disseminated scientific information across fields including medicine, botany, astronomy, philology, and ethnography. She has pioneered research on the intersection of religious conversion with knowledge production, analyzing how Jesuit missions in South Asia created complex networks of cultural exchange while simultaneously imposing European frameworks of understanding. Her extensive publication record reveals consistent themes of cultural encounter, knowledge circulation, and the politics of representation in colonial contexts. Županov's scholarship demonstrates how missionary activities served as crucial vectors for the transmission of knowledge between Europe and South Asia, while also highlighting the agency of local actors in shaping these exchanges. Her work moves beyond simplistic narratives of cultural imposition to reveal the complex negotiations that characterized early modern cross-cultural encounters. Fellow at Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin (2003-2004) Mellon visiting scholar at PennState University (2009) Käte Hamburger Kolleg visiting fellow (2012-13) Multiple research grants from European Science Foundation Authorization to supervise research, EPHE (2010) Ecole Française de Rome research grants (1995, 1997, 2000) As Director of CEIAS, Županov leads one of Europe's premier research centers for South Asian studies, coordinating numerous international projects and workshops that bring together scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Her leadership has been instrumental in organizing significant conferences including 'The Rites Controversy in the Early Modern World' (2011) and 'L'Inde des Lumières/Indian Enlightenment' (2011-2013), fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on the complex histories of knowledge production in South Asia.
Christian Mauder is Professor of Islamic Studies at Freie Universität Berlin’s Institute of Islamic Studies, Department of History and Cultural Studies. His research focuses on premodern Islamic religious, intellectual, and social history, particularly the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517), Islamic court cultures, historical semantics, Arabophone Christianity, Christian-Muslim relations, and Quranic discourses. He has published extensively on Mamluk military education, legal riddles, Persian and Circassian ethnic identities, and Ottoman-Mamluk transitions, emphasizing transregional interconnectedness. PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Göttingen (2017) Postdoctoral research at Yale, Princeton, NYU Abu Dhabi, and University of Bonn Associate Professor at University of Bergen (2018–2023) Mauder’s scholarly work bridges Islamic history and cultural studies, exploring how concepts like mujaddid (renewer) shaped religious authority. His publications include monographs on Mamluk court culture and edited volumes on Quran reception, legal knowledge transmission, and Islamic eschatology. Recent articles analyze Persian identity construction, Hanafi riddles, and Mamluk-Ottoman entanglements. His awards include the 2018 Malcolm H. Kerr Dissertation Award and Christian Gottlob Heyne Award. He supervises doctoral students and participates in international seminars, including the Balzan Seminar on Muslim state formation. His office hours (Tue 4:15–6:00 PM) are open for academic consultation at Fabeckstr. 23/25, Berlin.
Dr. Richard Calis is an Assistant Professor in Cultural History at Utrecht University. He specializes in the history of science, intellectual history, and cultural exchange in the early modern Mediterranean world. His research spans the Ottoman Empire, Early Modern Europe (France-Italy-Greece), and transnational scholarly networks. PhD from Princeton University University of Amsterdam & Università Ca' Foscari Venezia education Former Research Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge Visiting researcher at University of Tübingen, Oxford, Dumbarton Oaks He explores cultural globalization through early modern ethnography, focusing on figures like Martin Crusius and the role of dialogue in divided societies. His 2025 Harvard University Press book The Discovery of Ottoman Greece examines Crusius' Mediterranean knowledge networks. Scientific awards include the Honorable Mention William Nelson Prize (2019). He collaborates on projects like archives and power at the Huizinga Institute and studies Utrecht University's history and botanical gardens. His articles span topics from Protestant-Ottoman interactions to Renaissance reading practices. VENI grant recipient (Dutch Research Council) Contributor to Journal of the History of Ideas Blog , The Junto , and Marginalia
Alexandra Montero Peters is an Assistant Professor of Medieval European History at Northwestern University. She specializes in cross-cultural intellectual exchanges in the medieval Mediterranean, with a focus on Muslim-Christian-Jewish relations, premodern race and gender, and codicology. Her current book project, Representations of Power: Alfonso X, the Book of Games, and the Islamic Tradition , examines how medieval rulers articulated authority through cross-confessional intellectual traditions. Geographic Focus: Middle Eastern and North African History, Iberia Thematic Focus: Political and Policy History, War and Empire, Religious History Her research has been supported by prestigious grants including the American Association of University Women, Erasmus+, and the Medieval Academy of America. She previously taught at Texas State University and Bowdoin College. Active in Material History Lab at Harris 108 (Leopold Room) Expertise in analyzing Arabic and Castilian manuscripts Developing second monograph on racialized representations of India in medieval Christian and Islamic traditions
Dr. Gareth Atkins, based at Queens' College Cambridge as an Official Fellow and Tutor , serves as Director of Studies across multiple history-related degree programs. His academic responsibilities include supervising 18th-20th century British History , delivering lectures on 'God and the British' spanning 1688-1900, and co-convening specialized options on Anglo-French relations and City of London studies. Research focuses on the intersection of Religion and British History , analyzing how religious dynamics shaped British public life through three key strands: Evangelical political influence during Britain's Church-State evolution Religious language adaptation in saint-making practices Media analysis through stained glass, printed Bibles, and historical culture Current collaborative projects include William Wilberforce's religious biography and Gods of the Sea examining maritime religion. His 2019 monograph Converting Britannia and 2016 edited collection Making and Remaking Saints demonstrate sustained engagement with religious impact on British institutions and cultural memory.
Professor Johannes Paulmann serves as Director of the Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG) in Mainz since 2011, where he leads research on European history from the early modern period to contemporary history. His academic career includes professorships at the International University Bremen (2002-2006) as the first holder of the Helmut Schmidt Chair of International History and at the University of Mannheim (2006-2011). He maintains visiting professorships at prestigious institutions including the London School of Economics, St. Antony's College Oxford, Université de Montréal, and Sorbonne University. His research focuses on European history through transnational and international perspectives, with special emphasis on German history, humanitarianism, human rights, and media studies. Paulmann has edited significant works including Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid in the Twentieth Century (2016) and Humanitarianism & Media: 1900 to the Present (2018), establishing him as a leading scholar in the historical development of humanitarian practices. His recent publications reveal a consistent trajectory examining humanitarianism's evolution through historical conjunctures: colonialism and civilizing missions in the late 19th century, post-WWI international organizations, post-colonial transformations in the 1970s, and contemporary humanitarian intervention. His work demonstrates how humanitarian narratives and visual representations have evolved alongside changing media technologies and political contexts. As an institutional leader, Paulmann serves as spokesperson for the NFDI4Memory consortium within Germany's National Research Data Infrastructure and participates in the Collaborative Research Center 1482 'Human Differentiation' at Johannes Gutenberg University. He has held significant committee positions including spokesperson of the DFG Review Board for History and chairmanships of advisory boards for the German Historical Institute Moscow and Centre Marc Bloch in Berlin. His editorial work includes the European History Yearbook , Studies in International History , and he serves as editor-in-chief of both the EuropeAcrossBorders and Humanitarianism & Human Rights blogs. Through the Global Humanitarianism Research Academy, he has trained advanced PhD candidates and early postdocs in collaboration with the University of Exeter and the International Committee of the Red Cross archives in Geneva.
Dr. Zekine Özertural is a researcher affiliated with the University of Bonn's Department of Central Asian Linguistics and Cultural Studies, specializing in Manichaean Studies and Old Turkic languages. Her work bridges historical linguistics, religious studies, and manuscript analysis, focusing on pre-Islamic Old Turkish texts and their cultural contexts. Research Focus: Old Turkish Uyghur Manichaeism, Dictionary of Old Uyghur, Cataloging of Oriental Manuscripts in Germany (KOHD), and Pre-Islamic Old Turkish Texts Electronic Corpus (VATEC). Scientific Activities: Collaborative projects like KOHD for manuscript preservation, editorial contributions to academic proceedings (e.g., 2011's Eastern Manichaeism ), and interdisciplinary analysis of textual evolution. Her recent publications (2002-2014) analyze Manichaean-Uyghur textual structures, phonetic/orthographic peculiarities, and cross-cultural linguistic influences, particularly between Turkic and Iranian traditions. She has co-authored works on Sogdian-Old Turkic relations and confessional texts like Xuastvanıft, contributing to understanding Central Asian religious syncretism.
Dr. Charlotte Backerra is a Senior Lecturer for Modern History at Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, with academic affiliations at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Universität Stuttgart, and Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. Her research and teaching focus on early modern European history, dynastic structures, economic history, diplomatic practices, and intelligence studies. PhD in History from Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz Certificate for Teaching at Universities from TU Darmstadt Co-editor of Studies in Monarchy & Money book series Board member of International Intelligence History Association Speaker for Women in Economic History network Her research explores the intersection of cultural, political, and economic history, emphasizing dynastic economic strategies in the Holy Roman Empire (1550–1650), crisis management, and environmental history of premodern Europe. Recent projects include source editions on the Pragmatic Sanction and environmental history. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, with a 2018 monograph on Anglo-Austrian relations (1727–1735). Articles span legal pluralism, intelligence case studies, royal economic power, and environmental history. Scientific Awards: Christine de Pizan Mentoring Distinction (Mainz, 2015) Backerra advises graduate students and collaborates in academic networks, including editorial roles for Royal Studies Journal and Transnational Histories of the 'Royal Nation' . She has designed historical exhibitions on Mainz Citadel and public history initiatives.
Cynthia Robinson holds the Mary Donlon Alger Professorship in Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences, where she serves as a core faculty member of the Medieval Studies Program. She teaches MEDVL 4310 and MEDVL 6310 (Methods in Medieval) for Fall 2025 from her office in 35 Goldwin Smith Hall. Education Ph.D. in History of Art and Visual Studies, Medieval Studies, and Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania Research Focus Robinson conducts interdisciplinary research on cultural and confessional contact in the medieval Mediterranean (1000-1500 AD), with concentrated focus on Iberian Peninsula dynamics. Her work examines visual, literary, and courtly expressions of Islamic-Christian-Jewish interactions, particularly analyzing religious art, devotional practices, and narrative traditions in multi-confessional societies like Al-Andalus and Castile. She recently resumed fiction writing, anticipating scholarly-literary cross-pollination. Publication Trends Her 2002-2013 publications reveal sustained investigation into Iberian cultural exchange, with a 2008 cluster focusing on Alhambra ceiling paintings and courtly narratives. Monographs like Imagining the Passion in a Multi-Confessional Castile (2013) demonstrate how religious imagery adapted across confessional boundaries, while works such as Three Ladies and A Lover (2006) decode Mediterranean courtly culture through texts like the Hadith Bayad wa Riyad. Her research consistently highlights fluid cultural identities in medieval Spain through art-historical and literary lenses.
