OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II on Knowledge Transfer

The first cluster, held between June and October 2024,  featured four lectures.  The first public lecture, held on June 13^th, 2024,  was  titled “Knowledge and Culture Transfer in the Mamluk Period.” Subsequent lectures included “Women and the Transmission of Knowledge in Pre-Modern Islamic Societies” on June 26th, 2024, “What Went Wrong with Islamic Historiography?” on September 23rd, 2024, and the final lecture on October 30th, 2024, titled “Translation and the Colonial Dilemma during Egypt’s 19th-Century Modernization Period.”

The Orient-Institut Beirut (OIB) launched its second lecture series, focusing on the complexities of knowledge production and transfer across various historical and cultural contexts. Dr Yasmin Amin (OIB Cairo), in her opening remarks, outlined the three thematic clusters of the series, which explore knowledge production and transfer foundations, methods, and the modern  influence of digital technologies on historical narratives. The series encourages interdisciplinary dialogue to deepen understanding of cultural and intellectual exchanges.

The inaugural lecture by Prof. Dr Albrecht Fuess, addressed “Knowledge and Culture Transfer in the Mamluk Period.” Prof. Dr Fuess examined military and cultural exchanges between the Mamluk Empire and Europe in the 16th century, highlighting technological transfers like the use of war wagons by Ottoman forces, adopted from the Czechs and Hussites. Prof. Dr Fuess also explored the cultural influences from Mamluk diplomatic missions to Italy, noting their impact on Renaissance art. He invited attendees to reflect on the lasting effects of these historical exchanges on contemporary global interactions.

In addition, Prof. Dr Fuess’s lecture at the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II focused on the Battle of Marj Dabiq in 1516, where Ottoman forces used fortified “Wagenburgs” (wagon forts) developed by the Czechs and Hussites with cannons to defeat the Mamluks. He emphasised the “strategic brilliance of the Ottomans” in adopting advanced military technologies, shaping regional power dynamics. The lecture highlighted cultural exchanges between the Mamluks and Italy, notably the 1487 diplomatic mission to Florence, which influenced Renaissance art. Artists like Vittorio Carpaccio and Gentile Bellini incorporated Mamluk motifs into their works, blending Eastern and Western traditions.

Concluding, Prof. Dr Fuess stressed the “enduring legacy of knowledge mobility” and its relevance to contemporary global interactions. Following the lecture, several scholars shared their reflections. Prof. Dr Abdullah Kamel Mousa Abdo noted the connection to his research on Egypt, Syria, and Hijaz heritage, particularly the architectural contributions of Queen Shajar al-Durr. Saho Mitsuhashi, a doctoral student from the American University in Cairo, emphasised the event’s value for networking, while Eman Shokry, a post-doctoral fellow at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, highlighted how the lecture enriched her research on Mamluk-era architectural decorations and knowledge transfer.

The second lecture within the first cluster, “Women and the Transmission of Knowledge in Pre-Modern Islamic Societies,” was delivered by Dr Hoda El-Saadi from the American University in Cairo. Dr El-Saadi emphasised the often-overlooked knowledge contributions of women to Islamic scholarship, particularly in Hadith transmission and jurisprudence. She challenged traditional narratives and highlighted female scholars’ roles in shaping Islamic intellectual and cultural landscapes. The presentation sparked discussions on gender equity in historical scholarship, with participants advocating for more inclusive academic narratives.

Dr El-Saadi highlighted the “crucial role of female muhaddithat” (female Hadith transmitters) in preserving and transmitting Hadith, emphasizing that early Muslim women, including the Prophet’s companions and wives, were key-players in Islamic scholarship. She challenged the misconception that women were only involved in non-analytical fields, providing examples of female faqihat (jurists) who engaged deeply in Islamic jurisprudence.

Dr El-Saadi also explored how women participated in theological debates alongside men, “shaping intellectual and cultural landscapes.” Her presentation underscored women’s significant agency in Islamic scholarship.

During the Q & A session after the lecture, participants like Ahmed Nakhshara and Marwa Mohamed Abdo shared insights on the “transformative potential” of revisiting historical narratives with a gender-inclusive lens. Dr Wafeya Hamouda stressed the importance of understanding historical knowledge transfer, linking it to innovations in “contemporary AI technologies.”

On September 23^rd, 2024, the DAAD Regional Office Cairo organised the third public lecture within the first cluster of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II hosted by Prof. Dr Florian Zemmin’s lecture titled “What went wrong with Islamic historiography? On the need for a global perspective.” Prof. Dr Zemmin critiques the “Islamic decline” narrative that has framed Islamic societies as historically lagging behind the West. This narrative has often equated modernization solely with Westernization, suggesting that Islamic societies required Western-inspired reforms to “catch up” with global progress.

Prof. Dr Zemmin challenged this idea, suggesting that the “decline” paradigm oversimplifies Islamic history and that, in reality, Islamic societies showed resilience and adaptability, often shaped by complex, global interactions. He advocated for a “connected histories” approach, recognizing that Western and Islamic societies mutually influenced each other through colonial encounters, making modernity a shared, global experience rather than a Western-only phenomenon.

Therefore, he concluded by endorsing a global perspective, drawing from theories of multiple modernities to appreciate Islamic societies as part of a diverse, interconnected modern world. He urged scholars to move past rigid binaries like East vs. West, offering instead a view of history that embraces shared challenges and contributions across cultures.

The fourth lecture in the first cluster, “Translation and the Colonial Dilemma: Pioneering Approaches during Egypt’s 19th-Century Modernization Period,” by Prof. Dr Stefan Leder, former Director of the OIB, explored how translation served as a vehicle for cultural negotiation during Egypt’s 19th-century modernization. By adapting foreign concepts, Egyptian reformists domesticated Western ideas selectively, reshaping them to suit local needs.

The lecture explored the period that saw figures like Silvestre De Sacy and Rifāʿah Rāfiʿ al-Ṭahṭāwī redefining translation’s role under European influence. Ṭahṭāwī’s works, including “Account of a Stay in Paris” (1834) and his adaptation of Fénelon’s Telemachus in “Orbits of the Stars in Telemachus’ Encounters,” illustrate this approach, whereby western ideas were modified and then “replanted” in Egyptian society. His Centre of Translation also translated pivotal texts like the Code Napoléon, reshaping it for Egyptian judicial reforms.

The participants had the opportunity to learn about the mixed and native courts established from 1875-1883, revealing Egypt’s legal reforms amid the colonial dilemma and culminating in the 1883 Arabic Penal Code. Muhammad Qadri Pasha’s work on the French Penal Code exemplifies how translation helped shape an Egyptian rule of law framework.

Overall, the first cluster of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II, held between June and October 2024, provided a compelling exploration of knowledge transfer across historical and cultural contexts, emphasizing its enduring relevance to modern scholarship. Through four distinct, yet thematically connected lectures, the series illuminated the richness of intellectual and cultural exchanges in the Mamluk period, the transformative role of women in Islamic knowledge production and transmission, the critique of oversimplified Islamic historiography, and the complex dynamics of translation during Egypt’s 19th-century modernization. Together, these lectures emphasized the importance of revisiting historical narratives through inclusive, interdisciplinary, and global perspectives, fostering a deeper appreciation of the shared legacies that shape our interconnected world today.

The DAAD Regional Office in Cairo continued its dedication to promoting academic collaboration and intellectual exchange through the second cluster of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II, held in partnership with the Orient-Institut Beirut under the COSIMENA funding scheme for 2024. Building on the success of the first cluster, this segment, started on October 5th, 2024, featured a series of four insightful lectures that delved into themes of knowledge transfer across historical and cultural contexts. The colloquium commenced with the lecture “Creation and Transfer in Islamic Law,” setting the stage for discussions on legal systems as foundations of societal structure. Subsequent lectures, including “The Contribution of ‘Syrians’ to the Early Stages of the Egyptian ‘Nahda’ in the Reign of Muhammad Ali” and “Muslim Women as Scribes and Calligraphers: Biographical and Codicological Notes,” continued to explore diverse facets of knowledge exchange, shedding light on their relevance to contemporary scholarship.

The event opened with warm remarks from Fatma Soliman, Deputy Director of the DAAD Regional Office in Cairo, who emphasised the importance of DAAD’s partnerships in advancing progressive and research-driven discussions. Lorena Mohr, Head of Science & Protocol at the German Embassy in Egypt, echoed these sentiments, stressing the role of legal frameworks in structuring societies and maintaining peace. The first lecture “Creation and Transfer of Knowledge in Islamic Law”, by AUC’s Prof. Dr Mohamed Serag ,highlighted the adaptive nature of early Islamic jurisprudence, rooted in Quranic principles such as justice “adl”, individual responsibility, and public welfare “maslaha”. His engaging narrative, including cases like the “Himyariya” inheritance precedent, illustrated the balance between strict legal texts and societal needs, drawing parallels between early Islamic and modern legal principles. Audience members, including retired engineering professor Dr Tayseer Abou El-Nasr, reflected on the workshop’s insights, finding resonance in its call for thoughtful application of Islamic legal traditions in evolving contexts.

The second lecture entitled “The Contribution of ‘Syrians’ to the Early Stages of the Egyptian “Nahḍa” in the Reign of Muḥammad ʿAlī”, delivered by Dr Carsten Michael-Walbiner, marked his farewell as the Director of the DAAD Regional Office in Cairo. His presentation explored the Syrian Christian community’s significant contributions to Egypt’s modernization under Muhammad Ali Pasha. By highlighting figures such as Nicola al-Masabki, the first manager of the Bulaq Press, Dr Walbiner showcased the Shawam’s (Syro-Lebanese or Levantine Christians) pivotal role in advancing cultural and intellectual movements during the Nahda. Discussions during the Q&A session delved into themes such as Syrian migration and Muhammad Ali’s modernization policies, inspiring calls for further research into overlooked historical narratives. Contributions from cultural experts like Dr Amira Saad and Walaa Eldin Badawy enriched the discourse, emphasising the shared cultural heritage of Egypt and Syria.

The third lecture by Prof. Dr Walid Ghali under the title “Muslim Women as Scribes and Calligraphers: Biographical and Codicological Notes”, shed light on the underappreciated contributions of Muslim women as scribes, calligraphers, and illuminists. Drawing on biographical records and manuscripts, Prof Ghali highlighted the dual role of women as creators and educators in knowledge production and preservation. Figures such as Lubna of Cordoba and Fāṭimah al-Samārqandī exemplified their intellectual and artistic legacy, challenging stereotypes about women’s exclusion from historical knowledge systems. The lecture underscored the significance of codicology in uncovering these contributions, advocating for further research to address biases and expand understanding of women’s roles in Islamic manuscript culture. In addition, Dr. Shaima El-Fahham, entertained the audience by writing their individual names in different calligraphy styles to give a practical demonstration of the theoretical themes and topics discussed in the lecture.

The fourth lecture delivered by Prof. Dr Sebastian Günther, Professor and Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Göttingen, titled “Teaching Methods and Knowledge Transmission in Classical Islam: Insights from the World of Early Muslim Educators,” explored the intellectual and pedagogical contributions of prominent figures in early Islamic education. Günther highlighted Ibn al-Muqaffa’s pioneering efforts in Arabic literary prose and leadership education, Abū ʿUthmān al-Jāḥiẓ’s emphasis on rational thought over rote memorization, and the Brethren of Purity’s integrative approach to sciences, blending Islamic and classical philosophies, as well as their focus on students’ self-motivation and choice, a rather modern concept. He also explored Ibn al-Sunni’s structured curriculum and pedagogical principles, which emphasized ethics, collaborative learning, and health-conscious education and his positive approach to women’s education. The lecture highlighted the diverse approaches to knowledge production and dissemination in classical Islam, advocating for further exploration of these timeless methodologies to enrich contemporary educational practices.

In conclusion, the second cluster of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II exemplified the importance of intellectual collaboration and historical scholarship in addressing contemporary challenges. Through its exploration of legal systems, cultural contributions, gendered perspectives in knowledge production, and the pedagogical innovations of early Islamic educators, the colloquium fostered cross-cultural dialogue and highlighted the interconnectedness of historical legacies and modern societal needs. This initiative continues to reinforce the DAAD Regional Office Cairo’s commitment to advancing impactful academic exchanges.

The two clusters of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II on Knowledge Transfer, organized by the DAAD Regional Office in Cairo in collaboration with the Orient-Institut Beirut, exemplified the role interdisciplinary studies in exploring knowledge transfer across various temporal and geographical contexts. The first cluster, held from June to October 2024, covered themes such as Mamluk-era exchanges, the contributions of women in Islamic scholarship, and the complexities of translation during Egypt’s modernization, shedding light on the resilience and adaptability of intellectual traditions. The second cluster, held from October 2024 to January 2025, expanded on these discussions, exploring Islamic jurisprudence, the role of Syrian Christians in Egypt’s Nahda, and the underrecognized contributions of Muslim women to manuscript culture.

Building upon the momentum of the first and second clusters, the DAAD Regional Office and the Orient Institut Beirut in Cairo launched the third cluster of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II with a lecture titled “How Artificial is AI?”. Dr Wiebke Bachmann, Director of the DAAD Regional Office, welcomed participants to her first hosted event, expressing excitement about her new role and the opportunity to connect with local and regional academics. As a historian, she found the theme especially compelling, highlighting AI’s potential to transform access to historical sources. Lorena Mohr, Head of Science and Protocol at the German Embassy in Cairo, reflected on the increasing global relevance of AI and its ethical implications, particularly in diplomacy and warfare, sharing that even world leaders recently gathered in Paris to debate how AI should be regulated. She recounted her own interaction with ChatGPT, noting its self-described lack of emotion or consciousness despite its usefulness. Dr Thomas Würtz, Vice Director of the Orient Institut Beirut, followed with greetings from Lebanon, emphasising the value of the DAAD-OIB collaboration and introducing guest speaker Prof. Dr Michael Hampe from ETH (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) Zurich, whose extensive career bridges philosophy and the natural sciences.

In his lecture, Prof. Dr Hampe explored the philosophical and historical roots of artificial intelligence, beginning with Alan Turing’s vision of machines that learn from experience. Drawing a line from Turing’s Enigma machine to modern neural networks, he explained that AI fundamentally relies on syntactic pattern recognition, prompting questions about whether such systems can be truly intelligent or conscious. He described how unsupervised AI can evolve by independently processing vast data sets, often in ways that escape human comprehension. By revisiting thinkers like Hume and Dewey, Prof. Dr Hampe traced how  the definitions of artificial and natural have shifted, proposing that the line between technical production and knowledge has collapsed in contemporary science. The subsequent Q&A session, moderated by Dr Yasmin Amin, Representative of the Orient Institut Beirut in Cairo, expanded the discussion to include cultural definitions of the mind, the dangers of techno-authoritarianism, dual-use bioengineering, and the role of AI in education. Prof. Dr Hampe stressed the need for regulation, interdisciplinary dialogue, and philosophical nuance as AI continues to reshape how we understand intelligence, agency, and societal progress.

The second lecture of the third cluster of the OIB Colloquium II, held on 16^th  April 2025, explored the intersection of historical preservation and digital innovation under the theme “Collection-Based Research Meets Digital Strategy: Gotha Oriental Collection.” Nermine Abdelaty, DAAD COSIMENA coordinator, opened by highlighting the Gotha Research Library as a key example of how digitisation connects with historical scholarship. Despite Gotha’s small size, its library houses over a million objects, including one of Germany’s largest Oriental manuscript collections. Digitisation, she noted, transforms such archives into dynamic knowledge hubs, expanding access and context.

Lorena Mohr, drew links between previous sessions, from AI to medieval texts, and this session’s focus on digital archives. Dr Amin then introduced the speaker, Dr Hendrikje Carius, director of the Gotha Library. Dr Carius outlined the library’s dual digital strategy: preserving manuscripts and encouraging collaborative scholarship through platforms like Qalamos and GOTHA.digital. She presented pioneering initiatives such as the KITAB Project and Audition Certificates 3.0, illustrating how Linked Open Data is connecting collections globally. In the Q&A session, scholars discussed algorithmic biases, access to platforms, and funding challenges, stressing that digitisation is more than a technical shift—it is a redefinition of how knowledge is shaped, shared, and understood.

The third public lecture in the cluster, titled “Who is Indigenous? The Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects of Digital Historical Research,” was delivered by Dr Josef Jeschke, a scholar of Semitic Studies at Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. In his lecture, Dr Jeschke explored how digital research intersects with the rights and representation of indigenous communities, highlighting both its empowering potential and ethical pitfalls. He began by interrogating the legal frameworks that define indigeneity, noting that while international instruments like ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are foundational, they remain “deeply rooted in Eurocentric assumptions that fail to capture the lived realities of indigenous peoples.” Emphasising the risk of oversimplifying complex identities, he pointed out that “the digitisation of cultural heritage, when not community-led, risks turning living traditions into mere data points for academic consumption.”

A significant focus of the lecture was the ethical tension between open access and community rights, exemplified in the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) principles. “While FAIR principles prioritise accessibility and reusability,” he stated, “CARE reminds us that ethical research must respect indigenous agency and ensure cultural data serves the communities it originates from.” He further referenced initiatives like UNESCO’s Memory of the World programme and native-land.ca, acknowledging their contributions while cautioning that “they should not become a substitute for binding responsibilities or long-term engagement.” He concluded by calling for cross-disciplinary research ethics committees to oversee digital projects involving indigenous knowledge, urging scholars to “move beyond extractive methodologies and adopt a practice of cultural humility.” The lecture served as a powerful call to rethink how digital scholarship can be more inclusive, just, and respectful in its treatment of indigenous histories.

The concluding lecture of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II on Knowledge Transfer took place on 28th May, 2025, at the German Embassy in Cairo, marking the culmination of a year-long academic journey. H.E. Ambassador Jürgen Schulz opened the event by commending the initiative’s “interdisciplinary and diverse” approach to knowledge transfer, stating that “scientific and natural exchange remains a pillar of German-Egyptian relations.” He also celebrated the DAAD’s centennial milestone and 65 years in Egypt, calling it “an important hub for scientific cooperation.” The lecture, titled “From Parchment to Pixels: Digital Evolution in Gospel Manuscript Studies,” was delivered by Dr Elie Dannaoui, Associate Professor of Church History and Director of the Digital Humanities Centre at Balamand University, Lebanon. Introducing the theme with a compelling simulation, Dr Dannaoui asked: “What does it mean to know something in the age of artificial intelligence?” He illustrated how AI enables students to date ancient manuscripts in seconds, while seasoned scholars rely on years of training, highlighting the fundamental shift in how knowledge is accessed and verified.

Dr Dannaoui led the audience through the evolution of gospel studies, from ancient scriptio continua to digital interpretation, focusing on Egypt’s Monastery of Saint Catherine and the Codex Sinaiticus as case studies. He explained how early Christian scholars “used data-driven approaches long before the computer age,” referring to innovations such as the Eusebian Canon Tables. The lecture explored how Arabic gospel translations, drawn from diverse Greek sources, gave rise to what he termed “the Arabic problem,” a multiplicity of versions shaped by regional influences. “Creating an authoritative text,” he explained, “is not just about fixing words, but fixing meaning.” During the Q&A session, Dr Dannaoui addressed ethical concerns surrounding AI in manuscript analysis, cautioning that “AI might not just fill in gaps; it may challenge long-held beliefs.” He also described his centre’s work training AI models to read Middle Arabic, adding that public education and layered academic approaches are essential to counter misinformation.

Reflecting on the whole series of lectures, Dr Eman Ghanam from Egypt’s National Research Centre noted afterwards, the session offered “a clear, engaging perspective on how AI is revolutionising the way we engage with historical texts.” The lecture closed the series on a thought-provoking note, linking centuries-old scholarly questions with the evolving digital landscape. Shaimaa Youssef, a PhD researcher in African studies, said that the themes of the lectures have served as an “eye-opener” to many research interests and encouraged her to pursue more opportunities to work on interdisciplinary research topics.

In conclusion, the third and final cluster of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II, which ran from 26^th of February to 28^th of May 2025, offered a forward-looking exploration of how digital technologies intersect with historical research, ethical responsibility, and the future of knowledge transmission. Through its four intellectually stimulating lectures, the cluster navigated the philosophical underpinnings of artificial intelligence, the transformative role of digitisation in manuscript preservation, the ethical dimensions of indigenous representation in digital research, and the evolving methodologies in gospel studies. By bringing together experts from diverse disciplines and regions, this final cluster of the colloquium not only deepened understanding of how technology reshapes our engagement with the past, but also reaffirmed the enduring importance of inclusive, reflective, and ethically grounded scholarship in a digital age.

The three clusters of the OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium II, organized by the DAAD Regional Office in Cairo in collaboration with the Orient Institut Beirut, exemplified the role of interdisciplinary studies in exploring knowledge transfer across various temporal and geographical contexts. The first cluster, held from June to October 2024, covered the theme of knowledge production, for example Mamluk-era exchanges, the contributions of women in Islamic scholarship, and the complexities of translation during Egypt’s modernization, shedding light on the resilience and adaptability of intellectual traditions. The second cluster, focused on knowledge transfer and was held from October 2024 to January 2025 and expanded on these discussions, exploring Islamic jurisprudence, the role of Syrian Christians in Egypt’s Nahda, and the underrecognized contributions of Muslim women to manuscript culture. The third and final cluster, which ran from February to May 2025, brought the series into the digital age by addressing contemporary debates on artificial intelligence. Together, these three clusters highlighted the interconnectedness of past and present, emphasizing inclusivity, cultural exchange, and the enduring relevance of knowledge transfer as a lens for addressing contemporary challenges.