As a Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Waterloo, I am interested in ancient imperialism and political constitutions as well as the mechanisms of foreign affair relations. The focus of my research has gradually shifted from the Romans towards the the kingdoms and principalities of the Hellenistic World, beginning with the Galatians, including the Attalids and Mithradatids, and now particularly dwelling on the Maccabees and Seleukids. However, as the son of a Turkish migrant to Germany and as a German permanent resident in Canada, I am particularly attracted to questions on the status of citizens, subjects and migrants, the dynamics of intercultural change, as well as participation, freedom and solidarity in democratic societies. These are also the themes I explore on Think Centrist and Unheard Voices of the Past.