Farewell to ZMO and New Beginnings at the University of Bayreuth

As an old German song goes: "Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei" (Everything has an end, only the sausage has two).

Today marks the end of my five wonderful years at Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO). It has been a defining period for my career, shaped by an intellectually stimulating environment and colleagues who have made the centre a truly exceptional place, like a family.

Although I cannot thank everyone individually, I would particularly like to express my gratitude to Abdoulaye Sounaye for bringing me on board for his "Religion, Morality and Boko in West Africa" project, and to Ulrike Freitag and Kai Kresse for their continued support.

In January, I will begin a new chapter at the Cluster of Excellence Africa Multiple at the University of Bayreuth. I am excited to join the Digital Research Environment team, led by Mirco Schönfeld, as a Data Curator.

In this role, I will bridge the gap between technical infrastructure and African Studies, supporting researchers in managing data according to FAIR and CARE principles, and ensuring that digital literacy and ethical standards are integrated into our workflows. This position will also allow me to continue my own research at the intersection of AI, digital humanities and African Studies.