Umd History Professors Elected To Membership At Princeton University's Institute For Advanced Study

Scholars will delve into critical narratives that shaped the history of ancient civilizations, investigating the influences of astrology and the politics of martyrdom.

Congratulations to Antoine Borrut and Alejandro Cañeque, associate professors in the Department of History, who were elected to membership in the School of Historical Studies at Princeton University’s Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) for the 2016-17 academic year.

Borrut specializes in early Islamic history and historiography. His current book project, tentatively titled “Heaven and History: Astrologers, Theologians, and the Making of Islamic History,” explores the overlooked genre of astrological histories in Islam. As a member of IAS, Borrut will continue research on his book, which aims to address the construction of historical narratives during Islam’s earliest periods.

“Membership to the IAS will provide an exceptional opportunity for me to work on my book project in a unique scholarly community,” Borrut said. “The IAS will not only provide ideal research conditions but also give me the opportunity to interact with the leading scholars of several fields relevant to my new book project.”

Borrut was awarded the 2014 Islamic Republic of Iran World Book Award and the 2013 Syrian Studies Association Book Award for his book “Between memory and power: the Syrian space under the Latter Umayyads and Early Abbasids.”

Cañeque will continue working on a book-length project about the politics of martyrdom in the Spanish empire during his time at IAS. He is an expert on the history of colonial Latin America, early modern Spain and the Spanish empire. He is particularly interested in the politics and religious cultures of early Spain, which he explores in his historiographical essay, “The Political and Institutional History of Colonial Spanish America,” published in History Compass.  His book, “The King’s Living Image: The Culture and Politics of Viceregal Power in Colonial Mexico,” focuses on the development of transatlantic politics in the 16th and 17th centuries.

“My stay at IAS will allow me to establish intellectually productive relationships with the international community of scholars that reside at the institute at any given year,” Cañeque said. “I'm also planning on inviting some of these scholars to the Maryland campus and possibly organizing conferences and symposia with them.”  

Founded in 1931, IAS provides scholars from around the world with access to libraries and ample resources that enable them to dedicate themselves fully to their research. Notable past IAS faculty include Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer and Clifford Geertz.