Dr. Sara Allam Shaltout

Sara Allam Shaltout is a PhD candidate at the School of International Relations, University of St Andrews, where her research examines the influence of both the Islamic revival and the Coptic revival in Egypt on contemporary Coptic theology regarding women. Her project, The Islamization of Coptic Theology towards Women in Egypt, explores how broader Islamic cultural movements and the Coptic Sunday School revival reshaped theological and social discourses on gender within the Coptic Church.

She holds two master’s degrees: an MSc in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Edinburgh and an MA in Middle East Studies from the American University in Cairo. Before pursuing her doctorate, she worked for over 12 years as a journalist and communications consultant in Egypt and the UK, specializing in Christian affairs and interfaith issues. She is the author of several poetry collections and a bestselling nonfiction book on conflict within the contemporary Coptic Church, and is currently preparing her first English-language book on the Coptic Church’s approaches to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Sara is also a fellow of the Ginko Fellowship for Interreligious Dialogue and an alumna of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on Faith and Interreligious Affairs. She has contributed entries to the first Christian–Muslim relations dictionary, published articles in both academic and public outlets, and regularly presents her work at international conferences.

Education:

PhD Candidate – International relations and religious studies- The university of St. Andrews, cohort of 2023
MSc -By research – Theology and religious studies, The university of Edinburgh - class of 2023 with Merit
MA – Middle East studies – The American University in Cairo – class of 2022 with the Highest honors
BA Journalism with Honors - School of Mass Communications, Cairo University, Class of 2010 with high honors
Professional Certified Trainer, The American University in Cairo, July 2018
Professional Diploma - leaders for interreligious understanding - The Arab Danish Institute for Dialogue - Beirut ,2017

Careers:

Freelance journalist writes for diverse Arab media outlets: Masr 360, Al-Jazeera net, etc., March 2023 till present.
Teaching fellow at DOMUNI university: Teaching a Christian-Muslim relations course from June 2025 Present.
Teaching fellow at the Cairo institute for liberal arts and science (CILAS): teaching a Christian-Muslim relations course from Jan 2025 till May 2025.
Senior editor – The CIO intelligent Arabia Magazine by Lynchpinmedia.com in the UK, June 2023 to March,2024
Media and political advisor: Anglican Church in Egypt from June 2020- to December 2023
Senior Editor: Hadith Alkahera Daily Talkshow - Alkahera We elnas Channel, Dec 2020 – July 2022

Courses, Conferences and Workshops:

Woolf institute conference, Cambridge university, presenter, February 2025
Colonial, Postcolonial and Decolonial feminist theory workshop, Westminster university, UK, December 2024
The Wednesday seminar series, school of international relations, St Andrews university presenter, November 2024
Participating in writing the first dictionary for Christian-Muslim relations terms, the network of Christian-Muslim relations center, US, December 2024
GINKO fellowship for interfaith dialogue, Anafora Coptic monastery, Egypt, September 2024
Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies 2023-24 PhD Workshop, St Andrews UK, discussnt, Feb, 2024
The Annual conference for Insaniyyat ,Society of Palestinian Anthropologists, Presenter, May 2024
The international Vistitor leadership program (IVLP by the American state department) , Regional cohert for religious freedom, US, July and August, 2023
GINKO fellowship for interfaith dialogue Bonn University, Germany, August 2023
The youth social scientist fellowship, Arab council for social science, from September 2021 to July 2022
Writing the Egyptian document for the citizenship, The Coptic Evangelical organization for social service, Egypt, 2020
A member at the high committee of organizing the 50th celebration of the Cairo international book fair, Egypt, 2019.
Educational journey to learn about the Danish media system, April 2016
Within the press delegation to learn about the Chinese media system October 2016
Program leaders for religious coexistence, distance learning and lectures, Beirut, 2016
The Egyptian Cultural Week Activities, Baghdad 2013
The 13th Doha Forum 2013
Within the press delegation to visit Iran at the invitation of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, 2013
Youth Cultural Festival, Bahrain, 2012

Anthologies and Books:

From the papers of the case 805 , the murder of Abba Epianus, Al-Ain publishing house 2019 (Best-selling book).
Side Effects of a Rose- Al-Ain Publishing House 2018
Unbuttoning Loneliness - Al-Ain Publishing House 2015
Without a Trace of a Kiss - Al-Ain Publishing House 2013
The holy family’s oral narrative in Egypt, Al karma publishing house, under publishing