The new Cairo representative for the Finnish Institute in the Middle East is Sylvia Akar, following the retirement, at the turn of the year, of Dr. Said Sadek, who served as the representative for many years. Akar received her PhD in Islamic Studies in 2006 and has since worked as a university lecturer in Islamic Studies and Arabic until autumn 2023. Her research is related to the study of the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, i.e. the hadith literature, but she has also written extensively on issues related to contemporary Muslim communities, such as gender equality and sexuality. Another important research topic is the position of the Arabic language in Finland.
During her career, Akar has lectured extensively in various parts of Finland, including at events organized by the Open University. He has also been frequently interviewed in the press, on television and on radio on issues related to the Islamic world. Currently, Akar divides his time between Helsinki and Cairo and continues her research as a fellow at the University of Helsinki. Her upcoming articles “We say ‘shloonk’” Diversity of Arabic in Finland” (Journal of Finnish Studies, UI Press) and “ʿĀʾisha, Mother of the Believers” will be published in 2025. He has also been active on the boards of the Friends of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East and the Finnish Oriental Society for many years.
The FIME Cairo representative supports and advises Finnish researchers interested in Egypt and the Middle East in establishing connections. In addition, the representative supports bilateral contacts between Finnish and Egyptian universities, research institutes and researchers, and organizes educational and cultural events. The Cairo representative also promotes the visibility of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East in the media in Egypt and the Arab world.