IvOC welcomes new scholar: Johannes Makar

IvOC welcomes new scholar: Johannes Makar

Every year IvOC has 2 grants that we try to divide - depending on the applications - according to the keys 'younger and more experienced researchers' and 'Oriental and Orthodox Christianity'. Due to the corona pandemic, unfortunately, no study stays were possible in the past 2 years. We are pleased to be able to welcome Johannes Makar for his study stay at IvOC from Monday 26 September to Friday 21 October.

Johannes Makar is currently a PhD student in the Faculty of Languages ​​and Cultures of the Near East at Harvard University, U.S.A. He examines the intellectual discourses developed by Coptic reformers in response to the modernist movements in late Ottoman Egypt (1856-1910). His investigations are one the origins and effects of Coptic reforms in the thriving networks that linked Coptic intellectuals with Muslim and Christian effects both in and outside Egypt. He expects to shed new light on the dynamic contributions of non-Muslim groups such as the Copts, who were often regarded as peripheral and stable actors in the debates surrounding modernity in 19th century Egypt. He hopes to receive his PhD in the Fall of 2023 for his research entitled “Coptic Reform and the Search for Nation in Late Ottoman Egypt (1856-1910)." His supervisor is Prof. Malika Zeghal.

During his stay at IvOC, Johannes Makar will also participate in a conference of the Rewriting Global Orthodoxy ERC project by Prof. Dr. Heleen Murre-van den Berg. He will be working on a report for the institute on the subject of his PhD research.