Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences - Institute of Asian and African Studies

Career

University Education

1995–1996 Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. Doctorate in the section History and civilisations.
1988–1995 Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris III). Oriental Studies (Langues, Civilisations et Sociétés orientales).
1985–1988 Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) in Paris, Oriental Studies (Langues, Civilisations et Sociétés orientales).

 

Academic Degrees

2000 Maître de Conférences Qualifié (Assistant Professor), section 15 (Department of Oriental Studies).
1996 Doctorate at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris; section ‘History and Civilisations’.
1991 D.E.A. (Diplôme d’études approfondies) at the Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris III) in the Department for Oriental languages, civilisation and societies.
1989 M.A. in Arabic Studies at the Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris III).
1988 B.A. in Modern Standard Arabic, INALCO Paris.

 

Earlier Professions / Positions held

1993–1995 Lecturer for Arabic at L’Essouriau Secondary school in Bures/Yvette and at Les Amont Secondary school in Les Ulis. Granted by the Ministère de la coopération française.
1991–1992 Student assistant in the periodical section of the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.
1987 Translator Arabic-French for the Handisports (Paralympics) in Paris.

 

Research Activities and Fellowships

2007-2013 Researcher at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies, research project: From West Africa to Arabia. West African ʿulamā ͗ in Mecca and Medina (19th and 20th centuries).
03/2011 Fellow Researcher in the Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa (ISITA) - Northwestern University
2003–2006 Researcher at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies, Research project: „The Islamic mission in the Multi-Religious Context of East Africa”, Research project financed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation).
2001–2003 Researcher at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies, Berlin, Research project: "Holy places, Popular memories and Translocal practise in the Southern Swahili zone", Research project financed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation).
2000 Grant of the Working Group Modernity and Islam (Berlin) for the completion of my book Ngoma et Mission Islamique aux Comores et en Afrique orientale.
1997–1999 Post-doctoral fellowship at the Wissenschaftskolleg, Institute for Advanced Study, Berlin, Working Group Modernity and Islam, Research project: Popular Islam on the Comoros, Office at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies, Berlin.

 

Reviewer of the Peer-reviewed Journals

Since 2010 Islamic Africa
Since2008 Africa Today
Since 2008 Revue des mondes musulmans et de la Méditerranée (REMMM)
Since 2006 Archives des Sciences Sociales des Religions

 

Memberships

Since 2010 Advisory Board Member of Islamic Africa