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Category: MECAM

The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) was established at the Université de Tunis/Tunisia to strengthen international, intergenerational and interdisciplinary scholarly exchange between Germany and the Maghreb, the Mediterranean and the wider MENA region and beyond. The overall theme “Imagining Futures: Dealing with Disparity” guides MECAM’s research agenda on questions of Aesthetics & Cultural Practice, Inequality & Mobility, Memory & Justice, Resources & Sustainability, and Identities & Beliefs. These constitute the core issues of MECAM’s five Interdisciplinary Research Fields.
MECAM was founded in April 2020 as an international centre for interdisciplinary research and academic exchange. It is located in Tunis/Tunisia with two secondary (network) sites in Casablanca/Morocco and Beirut/Lebanon. MECAM is a joint endeavour of a consortium of six Tunisian and German research institutions. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and hosted by the Université de Tunis.
MECAM’s guiding theme “Imagining Futures: Dealing with Disparity” addresses the complex processes of the renegotiation of societal experiences into ideas for the future (“imagining futures”) in the context of different forms and scales of disparity and unequal conditions (“dealing with disparity”). The centre explores the link between multidimensional disparities and the possibilities of building and negotiating future-oriented ideas and models. It invites scholars at different stages of their career. Fellows work within the framework of the five interdisciplinary research fields. Furthermore, MECAM organizes various events, such as seminars, lectures, public debates and transregional/traveling academies and workshops that connect researchers and discuss research outcomes. MECAM is directed by Rachid Ouaissa (Philipps-Universität Marburg) and Khaled Kchir (Université de Tunis)


Editors: Diana Abbani (Forum Transregionale Studien), Julius Dihstelhoff (MECAM).

MECAM Series:
#Aesthetics & Cultural Practices
#Inequality & Mobility
#Identities & Beliefs
#MECAM #Memory & Justice
#MECAM #Resources & Sustainability

Navigating Inequalities: Locating Agency in the Margins and International Aid – 5in10 with Fabrizio Leonardo Cuccu

Fabrizio Leonardo Cuccu is a Alumni Research Fellow at the Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM), Tunisia and a Research Assistant at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Ireland. His research focuses on security, development and migration policies in postcolonial settings. He has published articles in the Cambridge Review of International Affairs, L’Année du Maghreb and Surveillance & Society.

The Political Activities of Dual Citizens in the Western Mediterranean, with a Focus on Tunisia, Algeria and France – 5in10 with Thomas Serres

Dr. Thomas Serres’ research spans the field of Middle Eastern studies, critical security studies, and comparative politics, combining an ethnographic approach with a conceptual apparatus inspired by critical theory. He is particularly interested in the effects of protracted and entangled crises (popular uprisings, “war on terror,” refugee crisis, neoliberalization) in North Africa and beyond. His first book, The Suspended Disaster: Governance by Catastrophization in Bouteflika’s Algeria, was published in 2023 with Columbia University Press, expanding on a French edition initially released in 2019. He also co-edited the volume North Africa and the Making of Europe with Bloomsbury Publishing (2018).

Tensions Over Participation: How Inclusive are Renewable Energy Partnerships Between the EU and Maghreb Countries?

By Philipp Wagner. Energy transitions have become a key process around the globe to decarbonise economies in response to climate change. Structural transformations such as the expansion of renewable energy infrastructures are not free of conflict since they are deeply entangled with questions of distribution, access, and participation. To illustrate this, the following essay aims to intervene in the debate on renewable energy partnerships between the EU and Maghreb states with concrete policy evaluations and recommendations. It aims to unravel the forms of participation and political exclusions in these processes: What is at stake is the place of local communities and citizens in the energy transitions of the Maghreb.

Female Agency and Colonial Repression: Memory and Archives in Tunisia

By Nora Lafi. Reflecting on the role of women under colonialism crucially contributes to debates on how
to write the history thereof in contemporary Tunisia. Based on a corpus of original archives relating to French repression of women designated “rebels,” it is shown how a focus on women’s agency makes it possible to write the history of colonisation differently and to cast issues of memory in a new light.

La rente et le changement institutionnel en Algérie – 5in10 avec Samir Bellal

Diplômé de l’Institut National de la Planification et de la Statistique (INPS) d’Alger et de l’université Lyon 2, Samir Bellal a enseigné dans de nombreuses universités en Algérie. Actuellement, il exerce en qualité de professeur d’économie à l’université Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi-Ouzou. Il a publié, fin 2017, « La crise du régime rentier – essai sur une Algérie qui stagne », paru aux éditions Frantz-Fanon, et en 2022, aux éditions El-Amel, « Rente, populisme et question économique en Algérie – réflexions sur un système en crise ».

Akouda 1943: A Voice from the Margins

By Cyrine Kortas. “Akouda 1943” is the third novel by Tunisian writer Houayda Ben Halima, published in 2017. The story takes place in the author’s hometown during World War II, when Tunisia was a battleground between Axis and Allied forces. Through her unique storytelling that merges history and fiction, Ben Halima informs readers about wartime politics while evoking deep emotional responses through well-developed characters and historical research to reflect on the human condition in times of conflict. For readers seeking a deep dive into the complexities of war through an engaging narrative lens, the novel offers a compelling experience that remains relevant today.

Regional disparities and inclusive territorial development in Tunisia: The South-East region– 5in10 with Nessrine Abbassi

By Nessrine Abbasi. Tunisia faces the pressing challenge of building a democratic system that addresses deep-rooted social and economic inequalities. Nessrine Abbassi, an expert in regional development economics, sheds light on the disparities between the coastal regions and the country’s south, particularly the Southeast. This region grapples with marginalization, unemployment, and poverty—issues exacerbated by inadequate development strategies. Abbassi emphasizes that sustainable development is achievable only through territorial approaches that consider the unique needs and characteristics of each region.

Understanding the Evolution and Challenges of Academic Freedom in Germany: Insights from André Bank

In this conversation, German political scientist and authoritarianism researcher André Bank speaks with Julius Dihstelhoff, MECAM’s Academic Coordinator, about the current state of academic freedom in Germany. Banks reflects on how historical developments of academic freedom have shaped the present landscape of higher education and emphasizes the importance of safeguarding these freedoms to foster a dynamic and diverse academic environment. He also addresses the ongoing challenges faced by scholars and institutions, including political pressures and social changes that impact academic discourse and inquiry.

Academic Freedom in Tunisia: Historical Contexts and Contemporary Challenges

In this conversation, Emna Beltaief, Vice President of the Université de Tunis, speaks with Julius Dihstelhoff, MECAM’s Academic Coordinator, on the state of academic freedom in Tunisia. They explore the historical trajectory from the Bourguiba and Ben Ali regimes to the post-2011 era, discussing the persistent tensions between academic freedom and political pressures.  Emna Beltaïef emphasizes the urgent need to protect academic spaces from political interference to ensure a thriving, critical academic environment.

Le patrimoine culturel judéo-arabe de Tunisie : Une identité meurtrie et une diversité linguistique menacée, 5in10 avec Hala Ben Mbarek

Hala Ben Mbarek est maître de conférences en langue et littérature hébraïques modernes au Département d’études arabes de l’Université de Tunis. Ses recherches portent sur la littérature hébraïque et comparée, la contribution des genres populaires à la construction des identités juives modernes, et les littératures comparées arabe-hébraïque modernes, le multilinguisme en Afrique du Nord et au Moyen-Orient.