Malkhaz Toria (Ph.D. 2009) is an associate professor of history and the director of the Memory Study Center in the Caucasus at Ilia State University (Tbilisi, Georgia).
His research interests focus on the history of Georgian medieval and modern historiography; ethnic processes during Tsarist and Soviet periods; the role of historical discourse and memory politics in regional conflicts in Georgia; constructing dividing boundaries and politics of exclusion in breakaway regions of contemporary Georgia.
He has been working on this broad research problematics within a range of post-doctoral fellowships (Fulbright, DAAD, OSF, etc.) at Central European University in Budapest; New School for Social Research in NYC; Harriman Institute, Columbia University; Mount Holyoke College in South Headley, USA; Humboldt University and Zentrum für Literatur-und Kulturforschung (ZfL) in Berlin. Various publications and teaching courses reflect the results of this academic trajectory. Since fall 2019 he has embarked on pursuing a doctoral degree in sociology at the New School for Social Research and studying how contested historical narratives and primordial historical imaginaries still fuel and contribute to ongoing conflicts (political, ethnic, interstate) in post-totalitarian societies including Georgia which are struggling with “difficult past”.