The country of Algeria, located in North Africa, experienced one of the most violent struggles for independence of the twentieth century. The war against France, which lasted from 1954–62 has become a paradigmatic case study of the historical process known as decolonization and inspired classic films such as the Battle of Algiers, as well as texts such as Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth. This talk will explore how Algerian intellectuals sought to break away from Eurocentric models of knowledge production and nation-building in the decades following independence. Their reflections focused on language and the need to increase the reach of higher education. They also reflected on the ways in which disciplinary boundaries—between sociology and anthropology, or between philosophy and sociology—were rooted in colonization. By focusing on historical actors that sought to find new ways to organize higher learning, it will explore how the university was—and continues to be—an institution shaped by political struggles and emancipatory hopes.

Muriam Haleh Davis is an Associate Professor of History and the Director of the Center for the Middle East and North Africa at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her first book, Markets of Civilization: Islam and Racial Capitalism in Algeria, was published by Duke University Press in 2022. She also co-edited North Africa and the Making of Europe: Governance, Institutions, and Culture, which was published by Bloomsbury Press in 2018. She is co-chair of the editorial committee for MERIP (Middle East Research and Information Project) and is co-editor of the Maghreb Page for Jadaliyya. She has previously held fellowships at the European University Institute in Florence, the IMéRA in Marseille and the The Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) in Tunis. Her public-facing writing and commentary has appeared in the LA Review of Books, Al Jazeera English, MERIP and Jadaliyya as well as on France 24 and NPR.

Slugs and Steins are free informal lectures served up over Zoom. Brought to you by the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association, each talk will engage one of our favorite professors in discussion with you, the local community of Silicon Valley, and beyond. We will cover everything from organic artichokes to endangered zebras, self-driving cars to Shakespeare. All are welcome. Audience participation is encouraged.

Watch past Slugs and Steins events here.

Questions? Please contact University Events at specialevents@ucsc.edu.