Lorenzo Kamel (born 1 October 1980) is Professor of Global History and History of the Middle East and North Africa at the University of Turin, ^[1] director of the Istituto Affari Internazionalis Research Studies, ^[2] and scientific director of the "New-Med Research Network". ^[3]

Career

He held teaching and research positions in universities in the Middle East, the US, and Europe, including the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, where he served as a Marie Curie Experienced Researcher, ^[4] and Harvard University, where, among other appointments, he was a postdoctoral fellow for two years with a project entitled "Artificial Nations? The Sykes-Picot and the Islamic State's narratives in a historical perspective". ^[5] He holds a two-year M.A. in Israeli society and politics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Ph.D. in history from the University of Bologna, and lived for years in several countries in the Middle East, including, with visiting appointments, Egypt ('Ain Shams University), the Palestinian Territories ( Birzeit University), Israel (Hebrew University), and Turkey (Bilkent University). He speaks Italian, English, Hebrew, Arabic and has a working knowledge of French, Ottoman Turkish, and Latin.

Publications

He published fourteen books on Global History, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean affairs, ^[1] including Imperial perceptions of Palestine: British Influence and Power in Late Ottoman Times, an award-winning and widely acclaimed book ^[6] based on sources from 17 archives. ^[7] The Cambridge Review of International Affairs pointed out that the book "broadens the existing scholarship with a well-researched, even-handed volume that clearly fills a hole in the historiography" ^[8] while the Journal of Palestine Studies reviewed the book stating that it provides a "fascinating and convincing interpretive analysis". ^[9] Sara Roy (Harvard University) noted that the book is a "powerful and truly illuminating study", while Hebrew University's Moshe Ma'oz contended that "for anyone with an interest in deconstructing the present of our region this book is a must". ^[10]

His book entitled The Middle East from Empire to Sealed Identities, was praised by Nicholas Doumanis as "one of the most definitive works on the transition from empire to nation-state". ^[11] Former MESA's President, Beth Baron, wrote that the book "will make an important mark on the field", while Brian A. Catlos ( University of Colorado Boulder) contended that it provides "chronological continuation of much of the most interesting work being done in pre-modern Mediterranean Studies". ^[11] His publications include also over 30 articles on leading academic journals such as British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, ^[12] Mediterranean Politics, ^[13] Peace and Change, ^[14] Eurasian Studies, ^[15] New Middle Eastern Studies, ^[16] Passato e Presente, ^[17] Oriente Moderno, ^[18] and over 200 articles and policy papers on Al Jazeera, ^[19] Ha'aretz, ^[20] Al-Monitor, ^[21] Project Syndicate, ^[22] The Daily Star (Lebanon), ^[23] The National Interest, ^[24] The National, ^[25] Aspen, ^[26] Middle East Eye, ^[27] and other media outlets in 10 languages, in over 30 countries.

He is a board member of a number of academic journals, including Palgrave Communications, ^[28] Eurostudium, ^[29] Passato e Presente, ^[30] and frequently acts as a peer-reviewer for the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant "The Study of the Human Past"), Cambridge University Press, International Affairs ( Chatham House), and other institutions, publishing houses and journals.

Prizes

He was awarded with the 2010 "Giuseppe Sciacca International Prize", ^[31] the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung Grant (2015), and the 2016 Palestine Book Awards (1st prize, academic section). ^[32]

References