Curriculum Vitæ

I am Mohamed Ailane, born on 1 October 1947 in Aïn Abid, near Constantine. As an Algerian scholar and researcher, I have devoted my academic career to the study of Algerian folk literature, oral memory, and national cultural heritage.

I was born on 1 October 1947 in Aïn Abid, wilaya of Constantine, Algeria.

I am married to Nassima Meslani, a professor of comparative literature who taught at the University of Constantine and then at Badji Mokhtar University in Annaba.

My father, El-Hadj Ali Ailane ben Saïd ben El-Madani, was a Quran teacher from the arch of Ouled Sidi Ahmed ben Belkacem in Aïn El-Khadra, wilaya of M'sila. May God rest his soul — he was of humble means, but possessed great dignity and an unwavering passion for knowledge and learning. He ensured that every one of his children received an education, whether at the zaouïa or at school.

Quranic School

I studied the Quran under my father in the municipality of Beidha Bordj, daïra of El-Eulma, wilaya of Sétif. There I memorised several foundational texts: the Matn of Ibn Âchir on Islamic jurisprudence, the Ajroumiyya on Arabic grammar, the Jawhara on theology, the Rahbiyya on the science of inheritance, and a large portion of Ibn Malik's Alfiyya.

Formal Schooling

In 1960, I enrolled at the school of the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars in El-Eulma (the Ihyâ' al-'Ouloûm al-Islâmiyya school), then at the Institute of Original Education in Batna, where I earned the certificate of aptitude — first in my class.

University

I continued my studies at the University of Constantine, then at Badji Mokhtar University in Annaba, where I specialised in Arabic literature and linguistics.

In 1994, I earned my doctorate with a thesis entitled "Proverbs and Folk Sayings of Eastern Algeria: A Literary and Descriptive Study", defended at Badji Mokhtar University, Annaba, under the supervision of Professor Mokhtar Nouirat — 329 pages.

I teach at Badji Mokhtar University in Annaba, where I have supervised generations of students in the fields of folk literature and oral heritage. I have directed or served on the examination committees of more than 40 master's and doctoral theses, both in Algeria and in the United Arab Emirates.

I have published several reference works, including "Lectures on Algerian Folk Literature" and "Grammatical and Stylistic Features in Algerian Folk Proverbs", both with Dar El-Ouloum Publishing. My research focuses on the proverbs, folk poetry, tales, and popular arts of Algerian heritage.