CURRICULUM VITÆ et STUDIORUM Alessia Melcangi University of Catania Department of Political and Social Sciences Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 49, 95131 Catania (Italy) Centre for Studies on the Contemporary Islamic World and Africa (CoSMICA) tel +39 095 7347253 - fax +39 095 322221 Personal information Nationality: Italian Place and Date of Birth: Catania, 30 th March 1983 Address: Via Matteo Renato Imbriani, 226 95128 - Catania (CT) - ITALY Tel: +39 095 446976 Mobile: +39 347 0673787 Fax: +39 095 322221 E-mail: alessiamelcangi@tiscali.it alessia.melcangi@unict.it Website: http://unict.academia.edu/alessiamelcangi Present Position Education and training Postdoctoral research fellow in History of Africa, University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Science; research program: "Nation/States and minorities in Mediterranean Africa". Teaching assistant and exam commissioner of the History of Africa and the History of the Middle Eastern Countries, University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Science. 30 January 2012 Ph.D. in Political Thought and Institutions in the Mediterranean Societies, University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. Title of the dissertation: La comunità copta nell Egitto di Gamal Abd al- Nasser (1952-1970): tra politica e religione. Empirical research which, starting from the analysis of the political project of ʻsecularizationʼ of the public sphere undertaken by the government of Gamal ʻAbd al-nasser, examines the role played by the Coptic community in the political and social arena and its relationship with the leadership in power. Supervisor: Prof. Federico Cresti Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum Alessia Melcangi 1
March / May 2010 Participant in the European Jean Monnet Module EU Roles in International Governance funded by the European Commission for the years 2005-2010. University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. 13 / 25 July 2009 Participant in the 2 Euro-Mediterranean Summer School on the issue European Policies and Economic Transition in the Mediterranean Basin organized by the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI). University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. 17 September 2008 M.A. in Contemporary History (110/110 cum laude). University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. Title of the dissertation: Minoranze religiose e potere nel mondo islamico contemporaneo: i copti nell Egitto di Gamal Abd al-nasser (1952-1970). 19 October 2005 B.A. in Historical and Political Science (110/110 cum laude). University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. Title of the dissertation: Teoria e pratica politica del socialismo nel mondo arabo: l Egitto di Nasser (1952-1970). 10 July 2001 Secondary School Certificate, final mark 94/100. Liceo Classico Mario Cutelli, Catania (Italy). Research Activities and Projects May / October 2011 Nov. 2010 / June 2011 April / November 2010 Master Tutor of the B.A. course in History and Science of Administration. University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. Researcher for the Jean Monnet Information and Research Activity (IRA) on EU Foreign Policy and Democracy Promotion (EUDEM) project funded by the European Commission through the LLP (2011-2012). http://www3.unict.it/eudem/eudem/. Archival researcher for the URBAMED project (Italy-France) on the gathering of Italian archival documents on the Libyan architectural and urban heritage. Research Grants October / Dec. 2010 February /April 2008 Research scholarship for the promotion of internships and research missions abroad (2009-2010) granted by the University of Catania. Research scholarship for the promotion of internships and research missions abroad (2007-2008) granted by the University of Catania. Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum Alessia Melcangi 2
Research interest Modern and contemporary history of Middle Eastern Countries. Contemporary history of Egypt. Religious minorities and human rights in Egypt. Citizenship and democracy process in the MENA area. EU as an external actor of democratization in the MENA area. Teaching 25 January 2013 Invited lecture on Egypt after the revolution: political, social and religious challenges for the Master in Mediterranean Studies, University of Florence, Faculty of Political Science. January 2012 / 2013 Series of lectures on Teorie della liberazione: il mito dell Etiopismo e i suoi esiti culturali for the course Storia dell Africa, B.A. in Politica e Relazioni Internazionali and in Storia e Scienze dell amministrazione, University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. 11 December 2012 Invited lecture on Minoranze religiose e diritti umani: il caso dei copti in Egitto for the course Sociologia dei diritti umani, B.A. in Scienze Politiche, Relazioni Internazionali, Diritti Umani, University of Padova, Department of Political and Juridical Sciences and International Studies. 16 January 2012 Lecture on Storia moderna dell'egitto for the course Storia del mondo Moderno, M.A. in Storia e Cultura dei Paesi Mediterranei, University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. 30-31 May / 1 June 2011 Seminars on Revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya organized by the Centre for Studies on the Contemporary Islamic World and Africa (CoSMICA), University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. January 2008 / 2010 Series of lectures on Ideologie della liberazione: Panafricanismo, Etiopismo, Rastafarismo for the course Storia e istituzioni dell Africa, B.A. in Scienze Storiche e Politiche, University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. 15 December 2009 Lecture on Storia della comunità copta nell Egitto di Gamal Abd al-nasser for the course Storia dell Africa, M.A. in Storia Contemporanea, University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. June 2006 / 2008 Series of lectures on Il socialismo arabo: la rivoluzione egiziana e il governo di Gamal Abd al-nasser and Il pensiero politico di Gamal Abd al-nasser tra nazionalismo arabo, socialismo e Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum Alessia Melcangi 3
Visiting fellows and researches missions statualità egiziana for the course Pensiero politico e istituzioni del mondo islamico moderno e contemporaneo, Dottorato di ricerca in Pensiero politico e istituzioni nelle società mediterranee (XXI-XXII-XXIII ciclo), University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. March 2013 January 2011 October - Dec. 2010 February / April 2008 Research mission at Les archives diplomatiques du Ministère des Affaires Étrangères of Paris and Nantes and at the Institut d'études de l'islam et des sociétés du monde musulman, Paris. Research mission at The National Archives of London and at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London. Research mission at the Archivio Storico Diplomatico of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the Archivio della Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali, Roma. Visiting fellowship at the Centre d'études et de documentation économiques, juridiques et sociales (CEDEJ); research at the Institut dominicain d'études orientales (IDEO) and at the National Library Dar al-kutb, Cairo. Other positions Conferences and papers in conferences Member of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES). Member of the Centre for Studies on the Contemporary Islamic World and Africa (CoSMICA). Member of the Italian Society for Middle Eastern Studies (SeSaMO). Member of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 17 / 19 September 2013 Questioni identitarie in Egitto: la comunità copta, XI Conference of the Italian Society for Middle Eastern Studies (SeSaMO), Doing citizenship. Practices of exclusion, demands of inclusion and new subjectivities in the Middle East and Europe, University of Pavia, Department of Political ad Social Science. 24 / 26 June 2013 Church, intellectuals and youth movements: the new reflection on secularism and tradition within the Coptic community in Contemporary Egypt, Annual Conference 2013 of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) Popular Movements in the Middle East and Islamic World, University College Dublin, Dublino. Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum Alessia Melcangi 4
Scientific coordinator of the panel Transversality and transculturalism among minorities and political movements in North Africa: different reactions to the post-revolutionary Islamic awakening. 12 April 2013 Primavera araba o inverno islamico? La questione confessionale nell'egitto post-rivoluzionario, conference, Dove vanno le primavere arabe?, University of Urbino, Faculty of Law. 18 / 20 September 2012 La questione copta in Egitto nel dibattito contemporaneo: tra antiche rivendicazioni e sfide internazionali, African Studies Conference organized by the Association for the Italian African Studies (ASAI), University of Pavia, Italy. Scientific coordinator of the panel Risveglio islamico e costituzionalismo dopo le primavere arabe. 11 June 2012 Before and after the revolution: a spring also for the Copts of Egypt?, Annual Conference of the Graduate Section of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES), Change and Continuity in the Middle East. Rethinking West Asia, North Africa and the Gulf after 2011, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). 19 / 21 May 2011 Religious issues in Egypt: the Copts from Nasser to Mubarak, European Foreign Policy and Democratic Promotion (EUDEM) conference, Winds of democratic changes in the Mediterranean? Actors, processes and possible outcomes, University of Catania, Italy. 4 / 5 November 2010 Documenti diplomatici italiani sulla visita di Fanfani al Cairo nel gennaio del 1959: alcune note sulla collettività italiana nell Egitto di Gamal Abd al-nasser, conference, Italiani di Tunisia e nell Africa mediterranea: un bilancio della ricerca storiografica, University of Catania, Faculty of Political. 30 Sept. / 1-2 Oct. 2010 Chiesa copta o chiesa nazionale egiziana? La comunità copta tra nazionalismo e identità religiosa nell Egitto di Gamal Abd al- Nasser, African Studies Conference, University of Naples L Orientale. 19 / 24 July 2010 From social discrimination to national collaboration: the Copts in the Egypt of Gamal Abd al-nasser according to the Italian Diplomatic documents (1952-1956), Third World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (3 rd WOCMES), Barcelona, Spain. Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum Alessia Melcangi 5
Scientific coordinator of the panel National Identity and Confessionalism in Modern North Africa and Middle Eastern Countries. 16 / 18 October 2008 Potere e minoranze religiose: il caso dei cristiani copti in Egitto (1952-1970), The Italian Society for Middle Eastern Studies (SeSaMO) IX annual meeting, University of Turin, Italy. 10 / 12 May 2007 Gamal Abd al-nasser e Muammar al-gheddafi: due figure a confronto nello scenario mediorientale della fine degli anni Sessanta, The Italian Society for Middle Eastern Studies (SeSaMO) VIII annual meeting, University of Florence, Italy. 13 December 2006 Il discorso di Nasser per la nazionalizzazione del Canale di Suez, congress for the anniversary of the nationalization of the Suez Canal, Centre for Studies on the Contemporary Islamic World and Africa (CoSMICA), University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. 12 / 16 June 2006 The Coptic minority under the nationalist politics of Gamal Abd al-nasser, The Second World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (2 nd WOCMES), Amman, Jordan. 16 / 17 April 2006 Organization of a 2 day workshop on Reproductive health: a challenge for migration, International Organization for Migration, University of Catania, Faculty of Political Science. 23 / 25 February 2006 La risata che cambiò il mondo. Gamal Abd al-nasser tra mito pubblico e identità privata, The Italian Society for Middle Eastern Studies (SeSaMO) VII annual meeting, University of Catania, Italy. Languages Italian: English: French: Arabic: Mother tongue Proficiency Intermediate Beginner Publication Edited Books MELFA D., MELCANGI A., CRESTI F. (a cura di), Spazio privato, spazio pubblico e società civile in Medio Oriente e in Africa del Nord, Giuffré, Milano 2008. Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum Alessia Melcangi 6
Book chapters MELCANGI A., La questione confessionale nell'egitto post-rivoluzionario, in A. Cantaro (a cura di), Dove vanno le primavere arabe?, Ediesse, Roma 2013, pp. 83-90. MELCANGI A., The political participation of Copts in Egypt: from the Nasser years to the sectarian strife of the nineties, in FOIS M., PES A. (eds.), Politics and Minorities in Africa, Aracne, Roma 2013, pp. 221-243. Peer- reviewed publication MELCANGI A., Religious issues in Egypt: From revolution to Nasser and back, in PANEBIANCO S., ROSSI R. (eds.), Winds of Democratic Change in the Mediterranean? Processes, Actors and Possible Outcomes, Rubettino, Soveria Mannelli 2012, pp. 347-363 MELCANGI A., CRICCO M., Gamal Abd al-nasser e Muammar al-gheddafi: due figure a confronto nello scenario mediorientale della fine degli anni Sessanta, in TONINI A., SIMONI M. (a cura di), Realtà e memoria di una disfatta. Il Medio Oriente dopo la guerra dei Sei Giorni, Firenze University Press, Firenze 2010, pp. 35-56. MELCANGI A., La risata che cambiò il mondo. Gamal Abd al-nasser tra mito pubblico e identità privata, in MELFA D., MELCANGI A., CRESTI F. (a cura di), Spazio privato, spazio pubblico e società civile in Medio Oriente e in Africa del Nord, Giuffré, Milano 2008, pp. 153-180. MELCANGI A., Masriyyin or Masihiyyin? The Coptic community as a paradigm of a controversial integration in contemporary Egypt, in M. CRICCO, L. EL HOUSSI, A. MELCANGI, S. TORELLI (eds.), In the name of Islam. North African Societies after the Arab Spring between Democracy and Islamic Awakening, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Cambridge 2013, sub prelo. Journal Articles MELCANGI A., Gamal Abd al-nasser tra mito pubblico e identità privata, Africa, LXII, 3, settembre 2007, pp. 329-359. Peer- reviewed publication MELCANGI A., La collettività italiana nell Egitto di Gamal Abd al-nasser. Alcune note a proposito dei documenti diplomatici italiani sulla visita di Fanfani al Cairo, in MELFA D. (ed.), Le savoir historique en question: gens d Europe en Afrique méditerranéenne, numero monografico di «Polo Sud. Semestrale di studi storici», Catania 2013, sub prelo. Book Reviews BALDUSSI A., CARCANGIU B. (a cura di), L altro nel Mediterraneo. Uomini, merci, idee dall Africa e dall Asia, Carocci, Roma 2007, in Mediterranea. Ricerche storiche, 13, 2008, pp. 429-432. Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum Alessia Melcangi 7
References Publications on-line MELCANGI A., Before and after the revolution: a spring also for the Copts of Egypt?, BRISMES 2012 Graduate Conference Papers Change and Continuity in the Arab World (=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/digital- Library/Publications/Detail/?ord516=OrgaGrp&ots591=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e- 2c24-a6a8c7060233&lng=en&id=153294 [16.11.2012]). MELCANGI A., The Egyptian religious question as an international issue, EUDEM (Jean Monnet Information and Research Activity on European Foreign Policy and Democratic Promotion), Newsletter 2, May/June 2011, p. 9 (= http://www.fscpo.unict.it/europa/eudemnewsletter2.pdf [16.11.2012]). Federico Cresti, Full Professor of the History of Africa and the History of the Middle Eastern Countries and Director of the Centre for Studies on the Contemporary Islamic World and Africa (CoSMICA). Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Catania. Via Vittorio Emanuele, 49, 95131 CATANIA (Italy). tel +39. 095.7347200 - mob +39. 329 1145449 cresti@unict.it Bernard Heyberger, Director of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and of the Institut d études de l Islam et des Sociétés du Monde Musulman (IISMM). Institut d études de l islam et des sociétés du monde musulman (IISMM) 96 boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris. Tel. 01 53 63 56 01 bernard.heyberger@ehess.fr Adriana Piga, Associate Professor of Social and Political Systems of Contemporary Africa. Department of Social Science, University of La Sapienza. Via Salaria, 113, 00198, ROME (Italy). tel. +39. 06. 49918470 - mob +39. 339 2928881 adriana.piga@libero.it Catania, 30 October 2013 Alessia Melcangi Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum Alessia Melcangi 8