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Category: MECAM

Reading Public Space through Masculinities in a Maghrebian Context – 5in10 with Khadidja Boussaid

Khadidja Boussaïd holds a Ph.D. in Urban Sociology from the University of Algiers 2 and is a senior researcher at CREAD (Research Center for Applied Economics for Development). She is part of a research team focused on the socio-economic dynamics of families, with a particular emphasis on the transformations of gender identities within Algerian households, but also focusing on the issue of Gender inequalities to access to public space. She is a short-term fellow at MECAM (Merian Centre for advanced studies in the Maghreb, Tunis University), where she is conducting a study about urban public space and its reading through masculinities in a North African context. Khadidja Boussaïd is accredited to supervise research (HDR) and is a member of the LASADET Laboratory (Socio-Anthropological Analysis of Territorial Development). She is also an associate member of the Gender Studies Center (CEG) at the University of Lausanne, contributing to research on the intersection of gender, space, and power.

Not Lost in Translation: Textbook Exploring Arabic Studies in 21st-century Germany

Clara-Auguste Süß in Conversation with Anis Ben Amor and Christian Junge. On 19 November 2024, MECAM hosted a Rencontre Ibn Khaldun in Arabic, an event format designed to share research findings with the wider public and foster open, inclusive debate. The event was organized in cooperation with the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA). Dr. Christian Junge and Dr. Anis Ben Amor led a discussion on Arabic Studies in 21st-century Germany. They presented their collaborative translation project of the German-language textbook “Arabistik. Eine literatur- und kulturwissenschaftliche Einführung” (English: Arabic Studies: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Studies”) and highlighted approaches, methodologies and challenges in the field.

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.