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NEW TRUMAN Researchers 2017
Wael Abu-‘Uksa, a scholar of the
history of political and religious ideas
in the Middle East, has a Ph.D. from
the Hebrew University and is a faculty
member in its Department of Political
Science. Wael did post-doctoral work
at Harvard University and at the Van
Leer Institute in Jerusalem Institute and
recently published his book, Freedom in
the Arab World: Concepts and Ideologies
in Arabic Thought in the 19 th Century.
At Truman, Wael is researching the
concept of civilization in the 19th
century in Arabic-speaking regions
through the lens of conceptual history.
His work explores the language of
modernity through the concept of
civilization, and presents its historical
roots and their modern theorization
in the early modern intellectual works
in Arabic. This analysis suggests
understanding Arab modernity and
its critique from within, rather than
outside of, the temporality of the
historical condition.
Atalia Shragai is researching how
eco-tourism projects in Central America
are essentially an imperialistic tool in
the hands of wealthy American and
European individuals and organizations.
Focusing mainly on Costa Rica,
Nicaragua and Panama, she examines
how these projects, which social
scientists call the ‘new mission stations’,
are making use of money people and
ideology originating outside Central
America to keep countries in the region
poor, weak and dependent on firstworld
countries, thus mimicking the
Dr. Wael Abu-‘Uksa
Dr. Atalia Shragai
TRUMAN NEWSLETTER 2017 17