Ilka Eickhof was a research associate at the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Politics. She has a Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies, Sociology and Modern History. She studied in Berlin, Damascus and Istanbul and worked as a project assistant at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, in the department for literature and sciences. She focuses her research and teaching on Postcolonial Critique, Orientalism, Popular Culture in the Arab World and Racism Theories. In her dissertation she analyzes the development of contemporary art and culture politics in the Middle East.

• Teaching and Research Interests
• Academic Development
• Teaching and Workshop experiences
• Publications

Postcolonial Critique and postcolonial perspectives and the Arab world

(Neo-)Orientalism, Critical Occidentalism

Cultural Studies, Theories of Racism, Critical Whiteness Theory

Symbolic policies, collective identities and politics of representation

Arts and (Pop)Culture in the Arab World

PhD project: ‚Popular Forms of protests and political arts: a critical analyses of contemporary art und cultural policies in Amman, Cairo and Damascus’

• 10/2011 - present: Research Associate and Lecturer at the Centre for Middle Eastern and North African Politics, Otto-Suhr-Institute for Political Science, Freie Universität Berlin
• 10/2011: PhD Scholarship from the Heinrich-Boell-Foundation
• 2009-2011: Trainee and project assistant at the “Haus der Kulturen der Welt”, Department for Literature and Humanities
• 2009-present: Associated member of the project „Heymat - Hybride europäisch - muslimische Identitätsmodelle. Identitäts- und Abgrenzungsrituale von Menschen mit muslimischem Migrationshintergrund im deutsch-europäischen Innen- und Außenverhältnis“, project leader: Dr. Naika Foroutan
• 08/2007-09/2007: Participation in Summer School “Perspectives of Feminism and Politics of identity in Africa: Finding a Common Ground”, Sokoto, Nigeria (Usamanu Dan Fodyo University Sokoto and Free University Berlin)
• 05/2006-present: Member of Coordination Team for the Transnational Exchange Project 'Gender and Emancipation – Perspectives from East and West', Berlin.
• 2005-present: Active member of NARI e.V., a Berlin-based network against anti-Muslim racism and Islamophobia
• 2005-2008: Scholarship from the Heinrich-Boell-Foundation
• 2005-2008: Active member of the working group ‘Postcolonia Studies’/ reflect!, Association for Political Education and Social Research
• 07/06 – 12/09: Research assistant at the Research Center (SFB700) ‘Governance in Areas of limited Statehood’, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Conrad: ‘Knowledge and Rule: Scientific Colonialism in Germany’s and Japan’s Colonies, 1884 – 1937.
• 07/06 – 12/06: Research assistant at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO), Berlin
• 2002-2009: Studies of Islamic Science, Modern History and Sociology at the FU Berlin, the Sabancı Üniversitesi, Istanbul (2007-2008) and the University of Damascus, Syria (2001 – 2002 und 09/2005-03/2006)
• M.A.-thesis: Anti-Muslim Racism in Germany, a theoretical framework (in German, wv Verlag Berlin 2010).

• Orientalism – Aspects and current notions of a debate (Winter term 2011/12)
• Workshops on Anti-Muslim Racism (throughout 2010 and 2011)
• Organization of the Conference “The governmentalisation of Islam in Europe. Managements of diversity, dialogue and Islamophobia in liberal-secular public spheres”, presentation of the paper “Islamophobia, dominant culture and the privilege of invisibility” (2009)

• Eickhof, Ilka 2010: Und keiner will`s gewesen sein…Antimuslimischer Rassismus in der Gegenwart, in: Kulturrisse Vol. 4, pp. 8-11.
• Eickhof, Ilka 2010: Genormtes Deutschsein? Weiß-Sein und antimuslimischer Rassismus, in: ZAG No. 57, pp. 6-8.
• Eickhof, Ilka 2010: Antimuslimischer Rassismus in Deutschland. Theoretische Überlegungen, Berlin: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Berlin.
• Opitz, Tim / Lenner, Katharina / Eickhof, Ilka 2010: Orientalisch, Orient, Orientalismus, in: Nduka-Agwu, Adibeli/Lann Hornscheidt, Antje (ed.): Rassismus auf gut Deutsch. Ein kritisches Nachschlagewerk zu rassistischen Sprachhandlungen, Frankfurt a. M.: Brandes&Apsel, pp. 332-336.
• Eickhof, Ilka 2007: Genderidentität und Heteronorm in der Türkei, in: INAMO No. 52, Vol. 13 (Sexualitäten), pp. 22-24.