Nasra Dahir Mohamed, a Ph.D. student in Global Studies at Global Studies University, presented her summer project, “Memory and Re-imagination at the Berbera Business Fair,” and participated in a panel discussion at the 19th Hargeysa International Book Fair, held in Somaliland, from July 25 to 30, 2026.
Specializing in Cultural, Visual, and Literary Studies, Nasra’s project explores how the history of the Berbera Fair and Somaliland’s pre-colonial economic and cultural networks can be reimagined through poetry, drama, visual art, and public history. It considers how creative approaches to the past can strengthen historical awareness, cultural identity, and critical thinking among young people in Somaliland.
The project was presented as a public exhibition during the annual six-day festival, bringing historical research into conversation with artists, scholars, and the wider community.
Nasra also participated as a panelist in the festival’s “Culture, History and Heritage” session on July 30, alongside Hamdi Ali and Mona A. Omer.
Nasra collaborated with local artists Abdiqani Jamac, known as Kings Art, and Hamdi Ali to create two paintings and a model imagining Berbera in the 17th century. The collaborative process deepened her exploration of how visual art can communicate historical memory and make research accessible to wider audiences.
The works have been donated to the Berbera Cultural Center and will also be exhibited at the Hargeysa Cultural Center, from July 15 to October 15 2026, extending the project’s public reach beyond the festival.
The Hargeysa International Book Fair is an annual cultural and literary festival that brings together writers, scholars, artists, and members of the public through exhibitions, discussions, and educational programming.
