MPI Group Leader Hatem Elliesie Takes Up Professorship in Leipzig

Dr. Hatem Elliesie, long-time Group Leader in the Department ‘Law & Anthropology’ at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, accepted an appointment as Professor for Islamic Law at Leipzig University on 1 August 2024. We talked with him about his new responsibilities and his research and teaching plans.

Hatem, congratulations on your new position as Professor for Islamic Law at Leipzig University! What is the profile of this professorship and what will your teaching focus on?
Thank you very much. I was of course very excited to accept this professorship. I am already familiar with the department and the university since I have been acting professor in this role for some time. The main focus, as the name suggests, is on classic Islamic Law. However, it considers the topic not just from a legal history standpoint, but also in relation to contemporary Islamic everyday and legal practices. This will be a major focus of the undergraduate seminars and lectures, which are attended by students in a wide variety of disciplines. Because the students are interested in the topic for very different reasons, my teaching portfolio will be oriented towards these various needs . The postgraduate coursework builds on this foundation and provides in-depth exploration of global perspectives and entanglements and comparative legal aspects.

And what are your plans for your own research?
In addition to philological and jurisprudential aspects that are typically expected for a professorship on this subject in Germany, I want to continue to pursue approaches from my work in the Department ‘Law & Anthropology’ at the MPI and incorporate social science and economic aspects. I have already started developing textbooks that will create a bridge between my inter- and multidisciplinary research background and didactic considerations guided by my students’ needs. It is important to me that teaching and learning never loses touch with current developments in research .

You have been acting professor in this position since summer semester 2021. What will change with your professorship?
Filling the role as acting professor for several semesters meant that I have already had a chance to gradually familiarize myself with the tasks of teaching and advising. This has allowed for a very fluid transition from the purely research-oriented focus of the MPI for Social Anthropology to Leipzig University with its stronger emphasis on teaching. I officially started the new position during the semester break, which also makes the transition a bit easier. Since there are no classes, I have time to become acquainted with the new administrative tasks and structures that go with a professorship at a German university. Once the lecture period starts again, this will surely bring significant changes in the rhythms and distribution of tasks.

What else will be new?
In contrast to the two positions I held in parallel as Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle und Head of Junior Research Group at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, there is an appreciable reduction in the direct personnel responsibility. At the same time, it became clear even before I accepted the appointment that the spectrum of responsibilities is broader. But these new responsibilities are quite manageable because I have freedom and autonomy to organize my work activities. The training and experience in the area of science management that I have gained as part of my professional responsibilities over the last several years has surely played an important role in preparing me for this.

Returning to the topic of research – do you already have concrete plans and new directions you want to pursue as part of the professorship?
Initially, my main concern will of course be with developing the profile of my unit and its educational offerings . But as far as my own research is concerned, I want to expand my focus on the various facets of so-called Islamic finance, which is particularly interesting because of the dynamic interactions between diverse academic disciplines and players in the financial sector such as banks and insurance companies. In addition, I am engaged in strengthening networks in Germany on topics connected with Islamic law : since 2018 I have been the first chairperson of the Islamic Finance Working Group of the Association for Arabic and Islamic Law (Gesellschaft für Arabisches und Islamisches Recht, GAIR) and I became chairperson of the African Law Association in 2023. Together with colleagues in these associations, I want to develop new forms and forums for scientific discussion and exchange in these fields.

What happens to your collaborations in the Max Planck Society and the MPI for Social Anthropology have now that you have left the MPI?
I will continue to be a research partner of the Department ‘Law & Anthropology’ and together with Director Marie-Claire Foblets I am currently finalizing a number of publications that draw on the results of our long-term research projects. One main topic here is the phenomenon that is often referred to in Germany as “parallel justice” (Paralleljustiz) and known in the international literature as “alternative dispute resolution”. In addition, we look at research on the topic of Islam, law, and anthropology in European contexts – both Europe generally and Germany in particular. Participants in this research include not just social scientists, but also legal practitioners from here and abroad, in order to provide insights from as many different perspectives as possible. Social, cultural, and not least religious diversity will also be crucial topics in the future. To this end, we are partners in consortium projects such as the project Comparative Procedural Law and Justice organized by the MPI Luxembourg (now Luxembourg Centre for International Law). Follow-up (collaboration) projects that build on this work are also in planning.

Does the network Max Planck Law play a role in your activities?
Yes, as part of the Law and Africa Initiative of the Max Planck Law Network I organize events such as lecture series, workshops, and conferences together with Isaac Kundakogo Kunko of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition. Upcoming activities this year include a workshop on Legal Research in African Contexts at Leipzig University at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law. Additional events are planned for 2025.

Will you be holding an inaugural lecture to mark the start of your professorship?
I do indeed plan to give an inaugural lecture at Leipzig University; however, the programme for this semester is already quite full, so it probably will not happen until next summer.