Scientific event

Djilali El Mestari, Researcher in Philosophy of Religion

Center for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology

Djilali El Mestari is a Research Professor at the Center for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC, Oran, Algeria). He holds a Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) and a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from the University of Oran. He served as the Director of CRASC from 2017 to 2021, and was previously the Director General of the National Institute for Research in Education (INRE) from 2016 to 2017. His research focuses on religious discourse, education and citizenship, and the communitarian question. He has participated in numerous national and international projects, most recently leading two ongoing research projects on: social sciences and humanities textbooks (1963–2020), and the production of religious knowledge in official religious institutions.

In 2022, alongside researchers from Italy and France, he co-edited issue 95/96 of the journal Insaniyat on the socio-anthropology of the religious in the Mediterranean. He also co-edited a collective book published by CRASC with Dr. Soraya Mouloudji titled: Society and the Pandemic. He has published several articles and research papers on religious and educational discourse in Algeria. His three most recent publications include:

"Youth and the Discourses of Religious Authorities in Algeria: Findings from Field Studies" (co-authored), Insaniyat, issue on Socio-anthropology of the Religious in the Mediterranean, Vol. 1, No. 95, 2022.

"Institutionalized Religious Discourse During the First Period of the Pandemic in Algeria," in the collective book Society and the Pandemic, CRASC Publications, 2022.

"Second-Generation Islamic Education Textbooks in Algeria: Content and Stakes," High Islamic Council Publications, 2021.

Fatima Zohra Boulefdaoui is a permanent researcher at the Centre for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC) in Oran, Algeria. She is also the Director of the Research Division “Socio-Anthropology of History and Memory” at CRASC. Her research lies within the field of social sciences and humanities, focusing on social history, collective memory, cultural dynamics, and the production of knowledge about Algerian society. Her work also addresses institutions, social transformations, and issues related to tangible and intangible heritage.

A Research Director at the Center for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC) in Oran (Algeria), he holds a PhD in philosophy. His research focusing primarily on Sufi discourse and the analysis of cultural and religious transformations in Algeria, with a particular interest in educational issues as well as the content of school curricula in the social sciences and humanities. He has directed and participated in several research projects, including one dedicated to the competency-based approach, and a Dictionary of School Textbooks in the Social Sciences and Humanities (1963-2019). He has also presented numerous scientific papers and published several studies, including: "The Evolution of Themes and Content of Philosophy in Secondary Education," "Philosophy in Educational and University Institutions: Status and Issues," "The Discourse of Citizenship in Algeria through Philosophy Curricula and Textbooks," "The Issue of Algerian Culture between Unity and Plurality," and "Cultural Competence in the Secondary School Philosophy Textbook.

Ahmed Rouajia is a Professor of History and Political Sociology at Mohamed Khider University in Biskra, specializing in the study of religious and political dynamics in contemporary Algeria. His research centers primarily on the transformations of the religious landscape following independence. He also examines issues related to knowledge production regarding religious institutions in North Africa and their articulation with contemporary realities. His latest publication, entitled Le religieux en Algérie après l’indépendance : mutations institutionnelles et acteurs (Religion in Post-Independence Algeria: Institutional Mutations and Actors), appeared in the collective volume Knowledge of Religious Institutions in North Africa (CRASC, 2026).

Fatima Zohra Boulefdaoui is a permanent researcher at the Centre for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC) in Oran, Algeria. She is also the Director of the Research Division “Socio-Anthropology of History and Memory” at CRASC. Her research lies within the field of social sciences and humanities, focusing on social history, collective memory, cultural dynamics, and the production of knowledge about Algerian society. Her work also addresses institutions, social transformations, and issues related to tangible and intangible heritage.

Permanent Researcher at CRASC

Fouad Nouar is a permanent researcher at the Research Centre in Social and Cultural Anthropology. His work focuses on socialization institutions and their training systems. His latest scientific publications examine the career outcomes of university graduates, as well as youth and the issue of recognition. He is currently a member of the research team "Trainers of Higher Teacher Training Schools in Algeria: Sociological Profiles."

Djilali El Mestari, Researcher in Philosophy of Religion

Center for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology

Djilali El Mestari is a Research Professor at the Center for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC, Oran, Algeria). He holds a Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) and a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from the University of Oran. He served as the Director of CRASC from 2017 to 2021, and was previously the Director General of the National Institute for Research in Education (INRE) from 2016 to 2017. His research focuses on religious discourse, education and citizenship, and the communitarian question. He has participated in numerous national and international projects, most recently leading two ongoing research projects on: social sciences and humanities textbooks (1963–2020), and the production of religious knowledge in official religious institutions.

In 2022, alongside researchers from Italy and France, he co-edited issue 95/96 of the journal Insaniyat on the socio-anthropology of the religious in the Mediterranean. He also co-edited a collective book published by CRASC with Dr. Soraya Mouloudji titled: Society and the Pandemic. He has published several articles and research papers on religious and educational discourse in Algeria. His three most recent publications include:

"Youth and the Discourses of Religious Authorities in Algeria: Findings from Field Studies" (co-authored), Insaniyat, issue on Socio-anthropology of the Religious in the Mediterranean, Vol. 1, No. 95, 2022.

"Institutionalized Religious Discourse During the First Period of the Pandemic in Algeria," in the collective book Society and the Pandemic, CRASC Publications, 2022.

"Second-Generation Islamic Education Textbooks in Algeria: Content and Stakes," High Islamic Council Publications, 2021.

Permanent Researcher at CRASC