I am a German specialist in MIDDLE EASTERN HISTORY and POLITICS focusing on the intellectual encounter of East and West, on liberty, modernity, radicalism, nationalism, and political philosophy.
I received my M.A. in oriental philology (Arabic, Persian and other languages), modern Greek and Byzantine studies, and political science (political philosophy) from Bochum University before I became a recipient of a scholarship by the state of Israel.
After spending a great deal of time in the Middle East, I did my doctorate in oriental philology (i.e. middle eastern languages and history) on “modernism and the idea of Europe in the Eastern Mediteranean.” Currently I am working on several projects dealing with East-West encounters.
My new book deals with HUMANISM in the MODERN ARAB WORLD: How Arab thinkers in the modern era developed ideas of enlightenment and a new perception of Europe and the Greek antiquity.
