Amina El Ganadi

PhD student fellow - DREST | ITSERR

elganadi@fscire.it

Research interests

“Digital Maktaba” Project: Cataloging Texts in Non-Latin Scripts; Generative AI and Islamic studies.

Education, academic and professional experience

Amina El Ganadi is a PhD candidate in Digital Humanities and Islamic Studies at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and the University of Palermo, as well as a Research Fellow at the Foundation for Religious Studies.
Her research explores the role of advanced artificial intelligence, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), in analyzing Islamic textual genres.
In 2023, she joined the Digital Maktaba Project, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative, AI-driven methods for the extraction, preservation, and management of Islamic historical documents and manuscripts. Initially focused on Arabic texts, the project plans to extend to other non-Latin languages, increasing the accessibility of a variety of important Islamic texts.
A key aspect of her research is examining AI-induced errors, known as “hallucinations,” which pose significant challenges in the study of religious texts. She explores their origins and development, working to implement strategies that minimize biases and misinterpretations in AI-generated content. Her work focuses on developing responsible methodologies for applying generative AI to religious studies, carefully assessing both its potential benefits and risks in this sensitive field.

In May 2021, she completed her second international Master's degree in International Relations, with a specialization in International Affairs, at the University of Bologna.

From September 2018 to January 2022, she provided interpreting and cultural mediation services for the education and positive integration of Arabic-speaking and Chinese students in the educational and social fields.

In March 2016, she earned her Master's degree in Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, with a specific focus on Chinese language and culture, at Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna.

Between July 2015 and July 2019, she was the recipient of scholarships awarded by Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, which enabled her to engage in study and research programs at Shenyang Normal University (SYNU), Renmin University of China (RUC), Xi'an International Studies University (XISU), and Xiamen University (XMU), with a focus on modern standard Chinese.

Her research interests encompass a diverse array of topics, including Digital Humanities, the history of ancient and modern China and the diplomatic relations between Italy and China.

Featured publications

Articles

El Ganadi, A., Aftar, S., Gagliardelli, L., Bergamaschi, S., Ruozzi, F., The Impact of Generative AI on Islamic Studies: Case Analysis of "Digital Muhammad ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari", in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Foundation and Large Language Models (FLLM), November 26-29, 2024, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

S. Aftar, L. Gagliardelli, A. El Ganadi, F. Ruozzi, S. Bergamaschi, RoBERT2VecTM: A Novel Approach for Topic Extraction in Islamic Studies, in Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: EMNLP 2024, November 2024, Miami, Florida.

S. Aftar, L. Gagliardelli, A. El Ganadi, F. Ruozzi, S. Bergamaschi, Novel Methodology for Topic Identification in Hadith, in CEUR Workshop Proceedings, IRCDL 2024, February 22–23, 2024, Bressanone, Brixen, Italy.

El Ganadi, A., Vigliermo, R.A., Sala, L., Vanzini, M., Ruozzi, F., Bergamaschi, S., Bridging Islamic Knowledge and AI: Inquiring ChatGPT on Possible Categorizations for an Islamic Digital Library, in Proceedings of the 2nd Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Cultural Heritage (IAI4CH 2023), co-located with the 22nd International Conference of the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence (AIxIA 2023), November 6, 2024, Rome, Italy,

Chapters in books

A. El Ganadi, Harmony and Diversity: Religious Freedom for Muslims during the Yuan Dynasty, in A. Mambelli, M. Mülke (eds.), Religionen und Freiheiten: Historische, theologische und exegetische Studien, Göttingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (in press, expected in 2025)

Translations

Fu Wenzheng, 阿诗有块大, Hangzhou, Zhejiang shao nian er tong chu ban she, 2017, traduzione italiana a cura di A. El Ganadi, Bologna, La Linea, 2021.

Conferences, seminars and workshops

December 2, 2024, in collaboration with S. Aftar, L. Gagliardelli, AI Generativa e Studi Islamici: Le allucinazioni e il loro impatto sull'analisi degli Ahadith, workshop session in “Digital Humanities, Intelligenza Artificiale e Studi Religiosi: Prime Prospettive di Ricerca”, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

26 – 29 November, 2024, in collaboration with S. Aftar, L. Gagliardelli, S. Bergamaschi, F. Ruozzi, The Impact of Generative AI on Islamic Studies: Case Analysis of "Digital Muhammad ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari", II International Conference on Foundation and Large Language Models (FLLM), Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

November 12 – 16, 2024, in collaboration with S. Aftar, L. Gagliardelli, F. Ruozzi, S. Bergamaschi, RoBERT2VecTM: A Novel Approach for Topic Extraction in Islamic Studies, in Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: EMNLP 2024, Miami, Florida.

4 July, 2024, panel Islamic Scholarship and Governance: Challenges and Resilience in Yuan China, 1271-1368, session on Islamic Scholarly Perspectives on Crises and Their Resolutions, International Medieval Congress 2024, Leeds (UK).

22 – 23 February 2024, in collaboration with S. Aftar, L. Gagliardelli, F. Ruozzi, S. Bergamaschi, Novel Methodology for Topic Identification in Hadith, 20th Conference on Information and Research science Connecting to Digital and Library science (IRCDL), Bressanone, Brixen, Italy.