Visiting Researcher Dr. Dalal Bajes from the Department of Sociology Participated in Academic Activities in the USA

Dr. Dalal Bajes, visiting researcher at the Department of Sociology at Ibn Haldun University, carried out a series of academic activities in the United States as part of her fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

During the fellowship period, Bajes participated in lectures, public talks, conferences, workshops, academic meetings, and scholarly panels at several institutions, including the University of Rhode Island, University of San Diego, and East Los Angeles College. Her academic engagements focused on Palestinian women prisoners, collective memory, carcerality, gender, colonial violence, resistance, and decolonial studies.

Lectures and Public Talk at the University of Rhode Island

On March 3–4, 2026, Dr. Dalal Bajes took part in academic events at the University of Rhode Island. On March 3, she delivered two classroom lectures titled “Carceral Melodies: Songs, Sound, and the Making of Collective Memory among Palestinian Women Prisoners.” These lectures introduced students to the role of sonic practices, songs, and sound in shaping collective memory under carceral conditions.

On March 4, she delivered a public lecture titled “Carceral Intimacies: Love, Marriage, Reproductive Resistance, and the Architecture of Control in Palestine.” The lecture examined how Palestinian women navigate structures of control through intimate, marital, and reproductive practices.

The event was organized in collaboration with the Carlson Lecture Series, Muslim Student Association, Gender and Women’s Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, Multicultural Student Services Center, and the Office of Community, Equity, and Diversity at the University of Rhode Island.

Guest Lectures and Academic Meetings at the University of San Diego

Dr.Dalal Bajes also delivered lectures at the University of San Diego on April 9–10, 2026. On April 9, she gave a lecture titled “Carceral Bodies, Unbroken Spirits: Palestinian Women in Israeli Prisons,” focusing on the experiences of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons.

On April 10, she presented “Melodies and Guns: The Role of Music in Political Socialization in Palestine,” discussing the role of music in political socialization in the Palestinian context.

These lectures were organized by the Gaza@USD Coalition and co-sponsored by several academic departments, including Women’s and Gender Studies, Sociology, Political Science and International Relations, Ethnic Studies, and Music.

During her visit to San Diego, Dr. Dalal Bajes met with Prof. Thomson Reifer, Chair of Sociology, to discuss her research and explore potential avenues for future academic collaboration and communication with Ibn Haldun University. She also presented her work in Prof. Reifer’s course, engaging students in a discussion and Q&A session on Palestinian prisoners and carceral systems.

On April 10, Bajes met with Prof. Jesse Mills, Chair of Ethnic Studies, and delivered a guest lecture in his course. Her presentation focused on Afro-Palestinian women in the Old City of Jerusalem, highlighting the intersections of race, gender, and colonial spatial control. The session included an interactive discussion with students.

Participation in the First Decolonial Conference at East Los Angeles College

On April 6–7, 2026, Dr.Dalal Bajes participated in the First Decolonial Conference held at East Los Angeles College, where she presented a research paper titled “‘Veiled’ Resistance: Wafa Jarrar and the Gendered Struggle Against Colonial Counterinsurgency.”

The paper examined the gendered dimensions of resistance in the Palestinian context, situating women’s experiences within broader frameworks of colonial counterinsurgency and embodied resistance. The conference provided a critical interdisciplinary platform for engaging with decolonial scholarship across global contexts.

As part of the conference, Dr. Dalal Bajes also attended the workshop “Recognition as Violence: Indigenous Autonomies and Progressive Governments in Abya Yala.” The workshop offered comparative insights into Indigenous struggles and contributed to broadening the theoretical scope of her research within Global South and decolonial perspectives.

Presentation at the “Women, Prison, and Sumud” Panel

On April 14, 2026, Dr. Dalal Bajes participated in the virtual panel “Women, Prison, and Sumud,” where she presented her research on Palestinian women in Israeli prisons.

The panel brought together distinguished scholars, practitioners, and cultural figures, including Prof. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, Visiting Professor at Princeton University, Emeritus Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Chair in Global Law at Queen Mary University of London, and Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa; Mai Masri, an award-winning Palestinian film director; Sahar Francis, former Director of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association; and Dr. Samah Saleh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Sociology at An-Najah National University and currently a visiting professor at UCLA.

Dr. Dalal Bajes’s contribution focused on theorizing women’s experiences of incarceration within broader frameworks of carcerality, colonial violence, and collective resilience, or Sumud.

Contribution to Ibn Haldun University’s International Academic Visibility

The Visiting Scholar Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley Center for Middle Eastern Studies constituted a highly productive phase in Dr. Dalal Bajes’s academic trajectory. It enabled her to advance her research, participate in international scholarly networks, and present her work across several academic institutions in the United States.

These engagements also contributed to the international dissemination of research conducted at Ibn Haldun University and strengthened the university’s academic presence within U.S. institutions, while opening potential avenues for future academic collaboration.