4MZ Research Day 2026
The annual 4MZ Research Day, organised by the Munich Middle East–Mediterranean–Central Asia Center (4MZ) at LMU Munich, brought together researchers from a wide range of disciplines and career stages, from doctoral candidates to senior professors. The day opened with a welcome session that introduced the programme and highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration. The organisers thanked all participants for contributing to a lively and engaging event.
The first panel, chaired by our PI, Prof. Dr Ilse Sturkenboom, was the first of three on collaborative research projects. Three presentations explored diverse aspects of the premodern Middle East and beyond. The first examined the challenges of studying Islam and the transformation of Eastern Christian normative regimes, followed by a paper demonstrating how tax records from the Egyptian Fayyum can reveal social and economic histories of the ninth and tenth centuries. The panel concluded with a presentation on the philosophy of the Baghdad School.
The second collaborative-project panel featured the GLOBAL DECO PAPER team. Ilse, Hanieh, Negar, Theresa, and Yih-chuen presented the ERC-funded project, introducing its aims, challenges, and research strategies. As the only art-historical project represented among the collaborative panels, the team received valuable feedback and stimulating questions. Participants were particularly interested in the export and circulation of decorated papers and how the project might contribute to broader discussions on mobility and cultural exchange. Questions were also raised regarding possible trade networks connecting different production centres and how these might be reconstructed through the evidence of decorated papers. Drawing on parallels with Chinese research, participants suggested exploring potential links between material culture and questions of health and well-being. Methodological questions addressed the relationship between stencilling and pouncing as design-transfer techniques, as well as the mobility of stencil designs themselves and the extent to which physical stencils, patterns, or visual models may have travelled across regions. These discussions provided valuable perspectives and offered new avenues for future research. The session was followed by an engaging presentation on “Tonfrequenz Nahost”, where a multitude of soundscapes were presented.
The third collaborative panel included four short presentations on a wide range of topics: normative regimes in the post-imperial world, the narration of history in Persianate literatures, the memory of the “Balkan Reconquista”, and performativity, materiality, and devotional spaces in Islamicate cultures and beyond.
In addition to the panel sessions, approximately forty posters showcased individual research projects from across the 4MZ network, highlighting the breadth and diversity of current scholarship at LMU Munich.
The afternoon programme featured an open discussion on collaborative research, public outreach, and funding opportunities, encouraging participants to reflect on both the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary cooperation. The event concluded with a wrap-up by Prof. Dr Andreas Kaplony, who reflected on the day’s discussions and future prospects for collaborative research. We would like to thank all participants for their insightful feedback, which was greatly appreciated.
The Research Day ended with an inspiring public lecture at the Museum Fünf Kontinente by Bahia Shehab, professor and founder of the graphic design programme at the American University in Cairo. Her talk, “A Trade in Dreams, A Century of Egyptian Print Advertising”, drew on research presented in her recent book A Trade in Dreams (AUC Press, 2026). Examining more than 350 newspaper and magazine advertisements, Shehab explored how advertising shaped consumer culture in Egypt between 1880 and 1980. The lecture demonstrated how the influx of European and American luxury goods – from jewellery and textiles to agricultural machinery – became intertwined with broader political, social, and economic transformations. Through a rich visual archive, Shehab illuminated how advertising reflected the dreams, ambitions, and realities of a society undergoing profound change.
After the lecture, members of the GLOBAL DECO PAPER team joined colleagues from the Museum Fünf Kontinente and Bahia Shehab for dinner at the restaurant Tahdig, where they enjoyed Persian cuisine and continued the conversations sparked throughout the day.
The 4MZ Research Day provided an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas, establish new connections, and reflect on the possibilities of collaborative research. Our team gained valuable insights from the presentations and discussions, and we are grateful for the opportunity to present our work alongside fellow researchers at LMU Munich.