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Mbaye Lo, Professor of the Practice of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Director of the Duke Islamic Studies Center and Director of the Duke University Middle East Studies Center

Mbaye Lo

Mbaye Lo is a professor of the practice of Asian and Middle Eastern studies and international comparative studies at Duke University. Originally from Senegal, Lo completed his undergraduate and graduate training in classical Arabic language and literature at the International University of Africa, Khartoum, and the Khartoum International Institute for Arabic Language, Sudan. He also received an MA in American history from Cleveland State University, where he also earned his PhD from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs with a dissertation on Re-inventing Civil Society-Based Governance in Africa: Theories and Practices.

Professor Lo is a recipient of several awards including the National Humanities Center fellowship, the American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship on Luce/ACLS Program in Religion, Journalism & International Affairs, DukeEngage Program Director Award, and Duke University Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Professor Lo is the author and editor of nine books in both English and Arabic that examine the intersection of intellectual and social discourse of Arabic/Islamic and African cultures. He has written widely on political Islam, Arabic literary traditions in West Africa, and ideas of civil society and governance.

Contact Info:
Office Location:  2204 Erwin Road Room 231, Box 90414, Durham, NC 27708
Email Address: send me a message
Web Page:  https://sites.duke.edu/researchafrica/files/2021/01/CV-Mbaye-Lo-2020.pdf

Teaching (Spring 2026):

  • AMES 304.01, AFRICA AND ARABIA Synopsis
    Perkins 060, F 03:05 PM-05:35 PM
    (also cross-listed as AAAS 306.01, ICS 306.01, PUBPOL 305.01)
  • AMES 499S.01, SENIOR HONORS THESIS SEMINAR Synopsis
    East Duke 204A, M 03:05 PM-05:35 PM
Office Hours:

Monday & Wednesday 2-5 pm
Education:

Ph.D.Cleveland State University2006
M.A.Cleveland State University1999
MA/ ArabicKhartoum International Institute for Arabic Language.1995
ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview tester
Full certification in Arabic
ABDInternational University of Africa, Khartoum
MA/ HistoryCleveland State University
BA/ Arabic Lang. & LiteratureInternational University of Africa, Khartoum
Specialties:

Arabic
Research Interests:

Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), oral proficiency-based language teaching and testing. Areas of research include the sociology of Islam, Islamic militancy & theories of civil society, the development of Arabic language and culture in Africa.

Areas of Interest:

the sociology of Islam, Islamic militancy & theories of civil society, the development of Arabic language

Keywords:

Authority • Cyberspace • Islam • Middle East

Recent Publications   (More Publications)   (search)

  1. Lo, M, Remembering Suḥaym: The Tragic Fate of Arabia's First African-Born Poet, Research Africa Reviews, vol. 9 no. 1 (April, 2025), pp. 1-18, Research Africa Reviews  [abs]
  2. Kamara, M; Lo, M; Robinson, D, Sheikh Moussa Kamara’s Islamic Critique of Jihadists (January, 2023), pp. 1-141, ISBN 9781666933864  [abs]
  3. Lo, M; Ernst, CW, I Cannot Write My Life Islam, Arabic, and Slavery in Omar Ibn Said's America (2023), ISBN 9781469674674  [abs]
  4. Black Africans in Arabic Sources: A Critical Assessment of Method and Rhetoric, in The Palgrave Handbook of Islam in Africa (September, 2020), Springer Nature, ISBN 9783030457594  [abs]
  5. Lo, M; Ernst, CW, The 1850’s Photographic Portrait of Omar Ibn Said: The Eloquence of Resilience, Muslim World, vol. 110 no. 3 (July, 2020), pp. 428-450 [doi]
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