Research and Teaching Précis

My current research explores the role of Muslim actors and Islamic value-systems in the creation of our modern world. My current book project Islamic Diplomacies in a Connected Mediterranean examines the lives and writings of Moroccan and Ottoman ambassadors who traveled throughout the 18th century Mediterranean. I argue for the inclusion of these North African and Ottoman voices in histories of international thought, drawing on their travelogues, correspondence, diplomatic manuals, and biographical dictionaries to offer a connected history of diplomacy in the Mediterranean.

I offer classes on the Modern Middle East, Premodern Islamic World, and the Mediterranean. In my teaching I combine discussions on primary source material, project-based activities, and authentic assessments to foster a community-oriented learning space where students are encouraged to think about how studying the past better informs our understanding of a connected, global present.

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Peter Kitlas

Postdoctoral Fellow, NYU|Abu Dhabi