Pre-departure information: http://mesc.osu.edu/turkey
The Center's major partners in Turkey are Atatürk University,Yeditepe University, Istanbul University, Bogazici University, and Kadir Has University. The following partners expand our capacity to create learning opportunities in Turkey for OSU students and participants in our teacher training program: Ataturk University; Anadolu University; Istanbul University; and domestic sponsors such as The Niagara Foundation; North Central Michigan College; The Midwest Institute for International/Intercultural Education. Turkey is a major partner in regard to enrollment and research at OSU. There were 68 Turkish students enrolled at OSU, 2011-2012 Academic Year: 4 Graduate Students, 64 Undergraduate Students. Many of our Alumni have gone on to become faculty at Atatürk University. In 2011 Dr. Fahri Yavuz, the Director of International Affairs and Professor of Agricultural Sciences at Atatürk University (Erzürüm), received the Distinguished International Alumni Award from OSU. An OSU Global Gateway Officein Istanbul is currently being pursued with plans to increase the presence of OSU faculty and sudents in educational and research institutions throughout the country.
Ottoman and related Central Asian studies courses, their relevant language courses, and substantial library collections, attract top faculty and students to OSU – including Turkish, American and an array of other nationalities. OSU is strengthening its national and international standing in Ottoman studies through Fulbright grants, membership in the American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT), study abroad programs for OSU students, scholars of Turkey and classroom teachers, and now an online forum for P-12 classroom teachers and faculty of education in both Turkey and the U.S. OSU Faculty organize related conferences and lecture series to OSU campus, such as the Great Lakes Ottoman Workshop, the Central Eurasian Studies Society Conference, and the Ottomans in Global Contexts lecture series. Currently, plans are in place to establish a Center for Ottoman Studies at OSU, with an endowed chair focused on that subject.
The Middle East, as it is now defined, is comprised primarily of states and territories formerly under the Ottoman Empire, or with cultural-historical ties to it. Thus, it is also relevant that the related library collections number 450,000 print volumes, with 45% in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Pashto, Ottoman and modern Turkish. OSU is one of the best resources for Ottoman chronicles outside of Turkey, and its Arabic collection is ranked among the top ten for state universities. Other languages represented include Yiddish, Kurdish and the Turkic languages of Central Asia.
The OSU-Atatürk University Exchange Program (Est. 2001)
A wide array of faculty members, in fields ranging from Medicine, to Education, from the Humanities, to Biology, to Law, have come from Atatürk University (Erzürüm) to work with OSU faculty members on research projects. These scholars have come here, fully funded by their government, to support the international partnership Atatürk University has with the Ohio State University, and create further understanding between our two countries. Over 60 faculty members of Atatürk University have come to OSU campuses and collaborated with our faculty in numerous disciplines (see attached list) since 2001.
Global Connections Study Tour to Turkey for Teachers, Co-Organized with the Niagara Foundation
The Middle East Studies Center (MESC) of the Ohio State University (OSU) collaborates with Niagara Educational Services to bring approximately 15 high school and community college teachers and scholars to Turkey each year. The purpose of the trip is to create a community of educators in Turkey and the United States, and to create Turkish-American intellectual exchange and resource sharing. The rationale is that, in creating a transnational communities, avenues may continue to be opened up which will allow these connections to grow. The MESC-Niagara Turkey trip is unique because it focuses on interaction with individuals and communities rather than site-seeing. While some activities may appear touristic, the scope of the trip goes far beyond tourism. Even visits to famous sites are accompanied by conversation with international and local scholars. Scholars in-residence (Alam Payind, Barb Petzen, and others!) on the trip also accompany us the entire way. Our focus is on making history relevant to the present day, and decoding surrounding environments to learn about current culture/s. Trips to schools form a large part of the trip with many opportunities to interact with teachers and classrooms, in addition we will have discussions with government officials about public policy, and visits university laboratories and classrooms.
Past Trips to Turkey for Teachers
2012, Report
2012, Photographs by Barbara Petzen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37358431@N05/collections/72157629244133988/
Photographs by Michael and Neathery Fuller: http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/turkey2012.html
2011, Report