Dr. Ibraam Abdelsayed | Language Policy | Best Researcher Award

Postdoctoral Researcher at University for Foreigners of Siena, Italy

Dr. Ibraam Abdelsayed is a distinguished Egyptian linguist and educator specializing in Arabic language education, sociolinguistics, and translation. With a PhD in Linguistics from the University for Foreigners of Siena, he has dedicated his academic journey to Arabic as a heritage and foreign language. Currently serving as Adjunct Professor and Post-doctoral Fellow at the same institution, he also collaborates with multiple Italian universities, including Parma and Bergamo. Dr. Abdelsayed leads significant research projects like AHLI and PluM, which investigate Arabic language maintenance among immigrant communities and plurilingual education. An expert in both Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, he is also engaged in curriculum development, certification, and training under CILS. His professional mission is to enhance cross-cultural communication and promote inclusive linguistic education in multicultural settings. Fluent in Arabic, Italian, and proficient in English and German, he brings both academic depth and practical application to his teaching and research.

professional profile

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Education

Dr. Ibraam Abdelsayed earned his PhD in Linguistics with distinction from the University for Foreigners of Siena, Italy (2019), with a dissertation on the “Frequency Lexicon of Spoken Arabic in Egypt.” He holds a Master’s degree in Linguistics from the same university (2015), where he graduated cum laude for his thesis on integrating Modern Standard and Egyptian Arabic in higher education. He began his academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Languages from Ain Shams University’s Faculty of Al-Alsun in Cairo, Egypt. As part of his academic formation, he undertook an Erasmus traineeship at the Italian Cultural Institute in Stuttgart, Germany, enriching his intercultural and linguistic competencies. His academic training, rooted in both Arabic and European linguistic traditions, provided a solid foundation for his current work in multilingualism, sociolinguistics, and educational linguistics. He is fluent in Italian, Arabic (MSA & Egyptian dialect), and has working knowledge of English and German.

work Experience

Dr. Abdelsayed has held several academic positions in Italy, including Adjunct Professor of Arabic Translation and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic at the University for Foreigners of Siena. He has served as a post-doctoral fellow at the CILS Centre, leading research on language contact between Arabic and Italian. His past teaching roles include Arabic instruction at the Universities of Bergamo, Parma, Perugia, and Siena, where he developed and taught language, culture, and literature courses. He has also worked with the University of Rome “La Sapienza” as an expert annotator for Arabic language resources. Additionally, he contributes to CILS exam development, supervises theses, and participates in academic committees. As coordinator of the Arabic Network at ANILS and a certified trainer, he also plays a pivotal role in shaping Arabic language pedagogy across Italy. His teaching is deeply rooted in practical experience, inclusive methodologies, and digital innovations in language learning.

Research Focus

Dr. Abdelsayed’s research bridges Arabic linguistics, sociolinguistics, language policy, and plurilingual education. His primary research focuses on the maintenance and transmission of Arabic as a heritage language among immigrant communities in Italy, particularly through the AHLI (Arabic as Heritage Language in Italy) project. He also explores plurilingual teaching strategies in multicultural classrooms under the PluM project, which involves over 1,200 educators across Italy. His earlier work includes corpus development for spoken Arabic and the study of lexical frequencies in Egyptian Arabic. He is also active in research related to language assessment, having contributed to test development for the CILS exam. His sociolinguistic inquiries extend to language contact phenomena between Arabic and Italian, especially in Tuscany, and how these dynamics influence language learning and identity. Dr. Abdelsayed’s scholarship is both empirically rich and socially relevant, with the goal of fostering linguistic diversity, inclusive education, and intercultural dialogue in European contexts.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Ibraam Abdelsayed has received academic distinction throughout his studies, including cum laude honors for his Master’s degree and an “Excellent” grade for his PhD dissertation. His educational journey has been supported by international scholarships and Erasmus placements, reflecting his academic merit and global engagement. He has been entrusted with leading national-level research projects such as AHLI (Arabic as Heritage Language in Italy) and PluM (Plurilingual and Multicultural Classrooms), highlighting his leadership and scholarly impact. His appointment as Coordinator of the Arabic Network at ANILS and Subject Expert in Arabic, Anthropology, and Language Education at the University for Foreigners of Siena further affirms his academic stature. He is also a certified CILS Exam Trainer and Test Developer, roles that showcase his excellence in language assessment. Dr. Abdelsayed’s numerous invitations to speak, train, and collaborate at institutional and national levels are strong indicators of the recognition he has earned in his field.

🛠️ Skills

Dr. Abdelsayed’s core competencies include Arabic language pedagogy (MSA and Egyptian Colloquial), translation studies, sociolinguistics, and curriculum design. He is skilled in academic writing, lexical analysis, language policy, and heritage language education. Technologically adept, he utilizes Microsoft Office, Google Suite (Docs, Meet, Forms, Classroom), Moodle, and educational platforms like Wordwall and LearningApps. He is proficient in remote teaching tools such as Zoom, Teams, and Skype. His multilingual fluency—Arabic (native), Italian (C2), English (B2), and German (B1)—enhances his cross-cultural effectiveness in both research and instruction. As a test developer and trainer for the CILS certification, he brings a nuanced understanding of language assessment. His collaborative and leadership skills are evident from his coordination roles at ANILS and national projects. With a pedagogical style rooted in inclusivity and interculturalism, Dr. Abdelsayed is also experienced in teacher training and student supervision, making him a well-rounded academic and educational leader.

Conclusion

Dr. Ibraam Abdelsayed demonstrates a remarkable blend of academic excellence, educational innovation, and community-centered research. His work significantly contributes to Arabic linguistics, heritage language preservation, and multilingual education in Europe. While global visibility through publications could be enhanced, his leadership, teaching, and active project management already place him among top-tier candidates.

Publications to Noted

Title: Lessico di frequenza dell’arabo parlato in Egitto (LAPE)
Author(s): I. Abdelsayed
Citations: 8
Year: 2021

Title: Family Language Policies for Maintaining Arabic as a Home Language in Italy: The AHLI Project
Author(s): I. Abdelsayed, M. Bellinzona
Citations: 4
Year: 2024

Title: Language Attitudes among Second-Generation Arabic Speakers in Italy
Author(s): I. Abdelsayed, M. Bellinzona
Citations: 2
Year: 2024

Title: Repetita iuvant, perseverare diabolicum. Un approccio multidisciplinare alla ripetizione
Author(s): D. Mastrantonio, I. Abdelsayed, M. Marrucci, M. Bellinzona, O. Paris, et al.
Citations: 1
Year: 2023

Title: Italiani sulle rive del Nilo: storia, contributi e prospettive di una comunità italiana a Il Cairo (1800–1950)
Author(s): I. Abdelsayed
Citations: 1
Year: 2016

Title: L’apprendimento dell’arabo nel contesto universitario tra HLLs e FLLs: il caso UniStraSi
Author(s): I. Abdelsayed, L. Cosenza, A. Nasimi
Citations: Not listed
Year: 2024

Title: A Frequency Dictionary of Contemporary Arabic Fiction: Core Vocabulary for Learners and Material Developers (book review)
Author(s): I. Abdelsayed
Citations: Not listed
Year: 2024

Title: Sillabo per la progettazione di percorsi sperimentali di apprendimento a livello Alfa alto
Author(s): I. G. M. Abdelsayed, E. Bonvino, A. Casagrande, L. Cinganotto, G. Dalfino, et al.
Citations: Not listed
Year: 2024

Title: Sillabo per la progettazione di percorsi sperimentali di apprendimento a livello Alfa basso
Author(s): I. G. M. Abdelsayed, E. Bonvino, A. Casagrande, L. Cinganotto, G. Dalfino, et al.
Citations: Not listed
Year: 2024

Title: L’arabo (-egiziano) in contatto con altre lingue: storia, provenienza e distribuzione dei prestiti nel LAPE
Author(s): I. G. Abdelsayed, M. Francesca
Citations: Not listed
Year: 2024

Ibraam Abdelsayed | Language Policy | Best Researcher Award