Dr. Nir Shafir

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Nir Shafir is a historian specializing in the Middle East, with a particular focus on the Ottoman Empire from 1400 to 1800. His research explores the histories of communication, religion, science, and technology. At the University of California, San Diego, he teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in early modern and medieval Middle Eastern history, history of science, global history, and the historical approaches to disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda. He is an occasional contributor and editorial board member of the Ottoman History Podcast, where he served as editor in 2018. His book, 'Order and Disorder in Communication: Pamphlets and Polemics in the Seventeenth-Century Ottoman Empire', offers a unique and comprehensive insight into the world of books and education in the early modern Ottoman Empire, emphasizing the role of pamphlets in the socio-religious debates of the seventeenth century. Future projects aim to delve into the social history of the Turkish language and its connection to antiquity and antiquarianism in the early modern Middle East.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2017-09-01 — Present

University of California, San Diego • La Jolla, California

Teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in history focusing on early modern and medieval Middle East, history of science, and other aspects related to global history.

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).