Constructing anti-colonial cairo

Dissertation research 2014-Present

My dissertation, Constructing Anti-Colonial Cairo, explores Cairo as a political and media hub for global anti-colonial movements. Using various digital history methods, I analyze Egyptian print media, diplomatic cables for foreign embassies in Cairo, and print media from other anti-colonial capitals to explore both the shifting meanings of anti-colonialism in Cairo and Cairo’s influence in the broader anti-colonial world.

Ultimately, I’m interested in exploring two threads. First, I trace shifting conceptions of the world order that was tied to discourses of anti-colonialism in Cairo, specifically examining the transformation from political to economic rationales. Second, I explore the relationship(s) between states, liberation movements, and the press - specifically the role of censorship in promoting revolutionary politics.

I have presented my research at the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, the American Historical Association Conference, the International Decolonization Seminar, and the European Cold War Summer School.

My dissertation committee is comprised of Thomas Schwartz, Paul Kramer, Leor Halevi, and Madeline Casad.