In June 2025, Hanadi Bekai joined ENS de Lyon thanks to the Palestine Scholarship program to pursue her doctoral research at CIHAM. Her area of scholarship is Arabic Language and Literature; she studies unpublished manuscripts from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Hanadi’s stay at ENS de Lyon has given her the structure, advising, and resources necessary to advance her research while engaging in international scholarly collaboration.
Joining ENS de Lyon
Since June 2025, Hanadi Bekai has been part of our community, joining ENS de Lyon thanks to our Palestine Scholarship program to continue working on her PhD research at CIHAM research unit.
After completing her studies in Arabic Language and Literature at the American University of Beirut (AUB), she began her doctoral research there, maintaining close contact with scholars at Princeton University in the US and the Sorbonne in Paris. These international connections helped shape and enrich her work. In search of opportunities to broaden her academic curriculum, Hanadi learned about the Palestine Scholarship at ENS de Lyon , which she was ultimately awarded, allowing her to pursue her research in France.
From Physics to Arabic Manuscripts
Hanadi Bekai initially started her studies in physics, but she soon discovered that her intellectual curiosity would not be satisfied by numbers alone. She became drawn to the humanities and the questions that literature and language allow us to explore. This shift brought her to Arabic language and literature, a transition that would redefine her academic focus and the ways she approaches research and interpretation.
Today, her doctoral research brings her into close dialogue with Arabic manuscripts dating from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Many of these texts are unpublished, and their authors and copyists remain anonymous. For Hanadi, this anonymity reveals how individuals, often excluded from official histories, left their traces through subtle changes in the text. By tracing these transformations, she studies how people made sense of their historical moments, imagined the end of time, and expressed hopes, fears, and ethical reflections. Her work highlights the power of imagination and everyday intellectual labor, showing how knowledge is shaped and passed across generations, often by those whose voices are rarely heard.
Research and Academic Life at ENS de Lyon
Hanadi Bekai’s time in France provided the material and intellectual conditions necessary for her research to develop. Through ENS de Lyon ’s academic networks, she gained access to major collections, including manuscripts at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France , allowing her to work directly with the primary sources at the core of her project. Within the CIHAM research unit, she found a collegial environment that encouraged exchange, reflection, and collaboration.
Beyond resources, what struck Hanadi was also the rhythm and organization of academic life at ENS de Lyon. The focus on time management and consistent work practices helped her plan her research and develop a sustainable routine:
For me, ENS de Lyon does not only train researchers intellectually, it also teaches them how to structure their time and build sustainable academic life... I had never experienced such structure before, and I now see how essential it is. No matter how talented I think the researcher may be, without clear agendas, knowing how to manage your time, you’ll definitely lose a lot.
She also appreciated the openness of professors, who encouraged discussion and engagement beyond the classroom, creating space for ideas to be tested and refined. Arriving without a fully defined PhD topic, Hanadi found that this balance between guidance, collegial support, and intellectual autonomy allowed her to clarify her research direction and reflect more deeply on its scope and purpose.
Life in Lyon and Plans for Future
Arriving in France without prior knowledge of French, Hanadi gradually learned the language alongside her research through the FFL ( FLE ) classes offered at ENS de Lyon. These classes also became an opportunity to meet other newcomers from around the world, forming her first friendships in France and helping her navigate both academic and daily life in a new environment.
Looking to the future, Hanadi is considering how to continue her research across multiple institutions, including ENS de Lyon and the American University of Beirut. Her experience has shown her the value of international collaboration, and she hopes to remain connected with the people, resources, and networks that have shaped her doctoral journey, maintaining dialogue and collaboration across borders.
