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 |