Majideh Qazizadeh

I am a Wolfson Scholar in the Humanities and a PhD candidate researching Islamicate chess and its social, religious, and scientific dimensions. My research is funded by the Wolfson Foundation and supervised by Dr István Kristo-Nagy (primary supervisor) and Professor Nahyan Fancy (secondary supervisor).

I hold three master’s degrees: in Pure Mathematics (Merit) from Sharif University of Technology, in History of Science (First-Class Distinction) from the University of Tehran, and an Erasmus Mundus Double Master’s of Excellence in Women’s and Gender Studies (Distinction). Drawing on my background and interests across diverse fields, from pure mathematics to the humanities, I bring a multi-disciplinary and multi-levelled approach to my research on Islamicate chess.

In addition to my focus on medieval Islamic intellectual and cultural histories, I have a keen fascination with women’s history worldwide, with a particular emphasis on British lesbian and queer history. My interests extend to the role of sexology in the construction of modern lesbian identities and its impact on women’s lives and writings, as well as debates around sexuality, including sex wars and sexual revolutions.

I have completed all my degrees with reputable scholarships. I ranked first nationwide in the field of History and Philosophy of Science in the Iranian nationwide university entrance for master’s programmes and was ranked first in my class for my master’s in history of science. I was awarded the Hivos Award for a research sabbatical at Essex University and received an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for my double master’s programme. These achievements, among others, reflect my dedication to academic excellence and my commitment to pursuing rigorous, multi-disciplinary research.

Research Interests:

Islamicate Intellectual and Cultural History

·        History of chess and other board games in the Islamicate world

·        Religious and cultural attitudes towards games and play

·        Transmission of scientific and mathematical knowledge across cultures

·        Textual traditions in Arabic and Persian intellectual history

·        Intersections of science, philosophy, and society in the medieval Islamic world

·        History of leisure, entertainment, and everyday life in Islamic societies

·        Translation and adaptation of knowledge between Arabic, Persian, and European contexts

History of Science and Mathematics

·        History of mathematics in the Islamic world and beyond

·        Development and circulation of scientific ideas in medieval societies

Women, Gender, and Sexuality History

·        Women’s roles in intellectual, social, and cultural life in Islamic societies

·        Lesbian and queer history, with a focus on fin-de-siècle Britain

·        The history, reception, and cultural memory of the Ladies of Llangollen (Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby), from the eighteenth century to  the present

·        Representation of female same-sex relationships and romantic friendship in eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century Britain

·        The role of sexology in the construction of modern lesbian identities and its impact on women’s lives and writings

·        Feminist debates around sex, gender identity and sexuality, including sex wars and sexual revolutions

Pure Mathematics

·        Graph theory

·        Combinatorics

·        Algebra

Manuscript and Translation Studies

·        Critical reading, editing, and translation of Arabic and Persian manuscripts