Sofija
Grandakovska
Associate Professor Adjunct
Room number
9.63.30; 524 West 59th St. 9th Floor
Education
Education and Academic Titles
- Associate professor /Senior Scientific Associate (2014), SS Cyril and Methodius University, Institute of National History, Skopje (Macedonia);
- Assistant Professor (2009), Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities Research ‘Euro Balkan’, Department of Cultural Studies, and Department for South-Eastern Europe (Skopje);
- PhD (2009), МА (2007), BА (1999) SS Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Philology “Blaze Koneski”, Department of Comparative Literature (Skopje)
Fellowships
- John Jay Research Visiting Scholar, John Jay Research Visiting Scholars Program, OAR, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Department of Anthropology, City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, Fall 2019;
- Saul Kagan Claims Conference Academic Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Advanced Shoah Studies, by Claims Conference (New York), Visiting Scholar at the Faculty of Media and Communications, Singidunum University (Belgrade, Serbia), 2016—2018
Research Topic: The Jews from Macedonia and the Holocaust: Race, Citizenship, Deportation;
- Visiting Scholar, Center for Jewish History (New York), March-June 2018
Research Topic: Parted Histories of the Sephardim from Monastir: Holocaust and the Migration to the States;
- Postdoctoral Fellow of The Baron Friedrich Carl von Oppenheim Family of Cologne for the Study of Racism and Anti-Semitism, at the International Institute for Holocaust Research of Yad Vashem (Jerusalem, Israel), October 2013—February, 2014,
Research Topic: Holocaust in Macedonia: The Deportation of Macedonian Jews;
- Doctoral Fellow at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Belgrade, Serbia), 2007
Research Topic: Judeo-Christian Relations: History, Religion and Literature;
- Apexart Fellow, Apexart (New York City), February-March, 2009.
Courses Taught
Current courses
- Culture and Crime This course explores matters of “culture and crime” as these are manifest in violent form, with a particular emphasis on colonialism, war, and genocide in various societies, territories and times. Using a comparative method, students will gain critical insight into violence as a cultural concept and in its most extreme expressions. We will explore the causes, factors, intricacies and consequences of these violations, and we will search for deeper understanding of the factors that shape crimes against humanity and of the role of human morality/immorality.
- Sex and Culture Through selected readings from the relevant literature, students will explore the distinction between mythic, divine, and political concept of sex and culture. We will explore the relationship between certain key terms such as nature and culture, sex, sexuality and gender, biology and medicine, divine law and the juridical act, as well as the sexualized violence, with a particular focus on genocide.
Languages
English, Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian; Professional knowledge of Latin, Old Greek and Old Slavic language
Scholarly Work
Sole Author: Scientific monographs:
- Miniatures and Maximums (2020), bilingual (Macedonian and English) edition. Skopje: Kalamus.
- The Achatistos Hymn through Word and Fresco (2017), . Skopje: Menorah.
- Portrait of the Image (2010). Skopje: Galikul.
- Discourse of Prayer (2008). Skopje: Premin.
Editor, Foreword and Contributor (Author):
- The Jews From Macedonia and the Holocaust: History, Theory. Culture [Евреите од Македонија и холокаустот: историја, теорија, култура] (2011), separate English and Macedonian edition. Skopje: Evro-Balkan Press.
Sole author: Books of Poetry
- “The Burning Sun” [Препечено сонце], a bilingual (Macedonian-English) edition, with afterword by Prof. Dr Bojana Stojanovic-Pantovic. Skopje: Templum.
- “The Eighth Day” [Осмиот ден] (2005), a bilingual (Macedonian-English) edition, with afterword by academician Katica Kulavkova. Skopje: Ikona.
Honors and Awards
- Certificate of gratitude from the Directorate for Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Macedonia, Ministry of Culture (Skopje, Macedonia) for participation in the project of historical significance for the Republic of Macedonia: Macedonia: Millennial Cultural and Historical Facts, 2013;
- Vita Pop-Jordanova Award from the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts in the field of Comparative Literary Studies for academic work and internationally published research papers, awarded in accordance with international classification, 2006;
- Award as a sign of recognition for the affirmation of SS Cyril and Methodius University regarding receiving the Vita Pop-Jordanova Award from the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, 2006;
- National Recognition by the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia regarding receiving the Vita Pop-Jordanova Award from the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, 2006;
- Testimonial for academic and research work on cultural heritage in Macedonia, awarded by Ford Grant and the Museum of the City of Skopje, 2004.