Prof. Dr. Dilek Latif, Visiting Fellowship 2024/25

Short biography

Dr. Dilek Latif is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Cyprus International University. She holds a Ph.D. from Middle East Technical University, focusing on Peacebuilding in Ethnically Divided Societies – The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a Fulbright Visiting Scholar, she participated in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding programs at California State University and later served as a research fellow at Boston University and the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) through the Cyprus-America Scholarship Program. Her research interests lie in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and reconciliation in divided societies, with particular focus on the role of education in contested narratives, politics of the past, memory and peace education. She has worked extensively on history and peace education initiatives in Cyprus, collaborating with institutions such as the PRIO Cyprus Centre, EUROCLIO, the Council of Europe and the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR). Dr. Latif has contributed to several international and bi-communal projects, including textbook analysis and teacher training programs. Her work has been published in numerous international edited volumes and peer-reviewed journals, contributing significantly to the fields of peace studies, historical dialog and education in post-conflict settings.

Motivation

My motivation is to expand my comparative research on contested narratives and commemorative practices in post-conflict societies, with a focus on Cyprus and the former Yugoslavia. I believe the Institute’s expertise in historical research and its regional emphasis on the Balkans provide an exceptional environment for meaningful academic exchange. During my visit, I aim to explore opportunities for collaborative research and joint publications, particularly in the areas of contested pasts, memory politics and peace education. Additionally, I hope to identify potential partnerships for future projects that connect the experiences of Cyprus with broader European contexts. INZ’s multidisciplinary structure and its strong connections to similar studies across Europe will provide valuable comparative perspectives and support efforts to develop a shared understanding of history in Cyprus as well as in other post-conflict societies across Europe and beyond.

Selected publications

Chapters in Edited Books

Problematizing Integration: Impediments to Integrative Education in Cyprus in Critical Perspectives on Refugee and Migrant Integration in Education – Peace and Human Rights Education – (Edited by Marcus Otto and Tania Saeed), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025.

Islamic Religious Education in Cypriot State Schools in Islamic Religious Education in Europe A Comparative Study (Edited by Leni Franken, Bill Gent), London: Routledge, 2021.

Obstacles of Peace Education in Cyprus: Nationalism and/or History Education? in Education in a Multicultural Cyprus (Edited by Iacovos Psaltis et al) Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017.

Religion and Ethical Education in Divided Societies: The Case of Cyprus in Religious Education and the Challenge of Pluralism, (Edited by Adam B. Seligman), New York:  Oxford University Press, 2014.

Dilek Latif and Ari Sitas: “The Potential for Reconciliation, Forgiveness, and Social Transformation”, in Beyond a Divided Cyprus A State and Society in Transformation, (Edited by Nicos Trimikliniotis and Umut Bozkurt), New York: Palgrave, 2012, pp. 201-216.

Chara Makriyianni, Charis Psaltis and Dilek Latif, “History Teaching in Cyprus”, in Facing Mapping, Bridging Diversity: Foundations of a European Discourse on History Education, (Edited by Elisabeth Erdmann and Wolfgang Hasberg) Part 1, Germany: Wochen Schau Wissenschaft, 2011.

Articles

“Dilemmas of Religious Education, Freedom of Religion and Education in Cyprus”. Religions. Vol. 13, No. 2: 96, 2022.

Jorgensen, F. A. Ergul & Dilek Latif. “‘Different than us’? Reciprocal perceptions of the societies in Turkey and North Cyprus”. Mediterranean Politics. Vol. 27, Issue 3: 369-390, 2022.

“Considering religious education in context: politics, reform and debates among Turkish Cypriots”. Journal of Beliefs & Values. Vol. 40, Issue1: 64–76, 2019.

“A Challenging Educational Reform: Politics of History Textbook Revision in North Cyprus”. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. Vol. 49, No.1: 1–17, 2019.

“Dilemmas of moving from the divided past to envisaged united future: Rewriting the history books in the North Cyprus”, Ingo Richter (ed.) Legitimation and Stability of Political Systems-The Contribution of National Narratives, The International Journal for Education Law and Policy, Special Issue 2010.