Partnership Ruhr University Bochum

We are happy to announce that as of September 2020, NISIS has entered a partnership with the Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Ruhr University Bochum. We hope to welcome many students and scholars from Bochum at our events and look forward to fruitful collaborations!

The Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (Seminar für Orientalistik und Islamwissenschaft) at Ruhr University Bochum closely combines research and teaching with regard to languages, literatures, sciences, history and societies of the Islamicate world, from the seventh century to the present. Founded in 1971 with one professorship, the department soon emerged as a leading research institution for the study of the transmission and appropriation of Greek philosophy and sciences in the Arabic-Islamic culture. This research line was complemented with a second professorship in 1987 dedicated to the study of Islam in the early modern and modern periods. Today, the department is committed to explore and further develop both research strands in an increasingly interdisciplinary setting. This includes, on the one hand, the intellectual history of the Islamicate world, the history of sciences, religion and philosophy in the medieval period; and, on the other hand, the social and cultural history of the modern Middle East with a focus on politics, social actors and structures, historical semantics and material culture. In addition, the history, literature and culture of the Ottoman Empire is emerging as a new focus area. In line with the Ruhr University’s general objectives, the department strongly promotes projects in the digital humanities as well as the internationalisation of its research and teaching.