Introducing: Daniele Paolini
Daniele Paolini recently joined the Institute for History as a postdoctoral researcher within the ERC and NWO-funded project 'International Coalitions for Peace in the Era of Decolonization, 1918-1970' under the supervision of Carolien Stolte. Below, he introduces himself.
Hello! I’m Daniele Paolini, and since early April I’ve been a very enthusiastic postdoc here at the Institute for History, where I joined Dr. Carolien Stolte's Peace Movements Project. Here, I explore the history of peace movements in Maghreb countries, specifically Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. I come from Italy, but my studies in university took me on quite a ride: I was trained as an Arabist and historian of North Africa between Turin, Lyon, Venice, Rabat, Casablanca, Perugia and Leiden. In the middle of the pandemic, I got my master’s degree in Arabic language and MENA studies from the University of Venice.
Then, I moved to the University of Perugia to start a PhD in History. The PhD was part of a co-tutelle agreement with Leiden University, which meant I got to split my time between Italy, the Netherlands, and Morocco as well, where I was carrying out part of my fieldwork. For my PhD, I worked on a project on the history of Moroccan trade unionism. My research connects trade union history with the main national political developments of the first two decades of independence. Digging deeper into this, I eventually started to explore broader questions about transnational solidarities within and beyond North Africa. I got pretty immersed in the history of Pan-Arab trade union internationalism which allowed me to look at the ways trade unions from decolonizing or newly decolonized nations sought an active engagement at the transnational level as part of the broader struggle against old and new forms of imperialism.
I really became interested in the study of North Africa as a crossroads between Arab, African, and Asian worlds, particularly in the consolidation of ideas and practices of solidarity in the context of decolonization. That’s also why when I came across Dr. Carolien Stolte’s Peace Movements Project upon finishing my PhD earlier this year, it did feel like the right next step—and I could not be happier to be part of the Institute for History at Leiden University!
Outside the archives, I try to keep things balanced. Whenever I can, I head outdoors or stay at home to cook for friends—I really enjoy sharing food as much as making it. Most of all, I think research is best when it’s social, so I’m always happy to connect—whether over coffee, lunch, or just a chat in the garden. See you all soon in Huizinga or around Leiden!