Gizem Zencirci

I am an associate professor of political science at Providence College’s Department of Political Science. I am also the director of the Middle East Studies program at Providence College. From April to October 2024, I was a residential fellow at the Inherit-Heritage in Transformation, the Centre for Advanced Study at Humboldt University, Berlin.

My research examines the relationship between Islamic politics and neoliberal globalization; the reproduction of Ottoman-Islamic civilizational heritage; and the transformation of welfare governance.

My first book, The Muslim Social: Neoliberalism, Charity, and Poverty in Turkey (2024) was published with Syracuse University Press. The Muslim Social examines how two seemingly separate forces—neoliberalism and Islamism—intersect and shape poverty governance in Turkey.

My work has appeared in the journals International Journal of Middle East Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, European Journal of Turkish Studies, Asian Journal of Social Science, Journal of Cultural Economy, The Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of Social History, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

I hold a PhD in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a MA in Political Science from Bilkent University, Ankara.

In addition to scholarly work, I write fiction, occasionally paint, and engage in textile arts.