One of the Center's important functions is as a conduit between cultural communities, here and around the world. We work with Ataturk University in Erzerum to facilitate faculty exchange and student learning experiences in Erzerum. These have resulted in faculty from across disciplines and professional schools collaborating on publications, and students gaining valuable intercultural experience in Turkey.
Teachers interested in teaching about the Middle East and the world are one of our most important constituencies, and we continually evaluate the work we do to provide the highest quality and most accessible professional development opportunities about the Middle East. We work with teachers in the U.S. and Turkey to develop instructional materials and engage with the most pressing questions of pedagogy for teaching about the world and its social, cultural and economic diversity. Activities for educators:
- Trips to Turkey (Further information: http://mesc.osu.edu/experiencing-turkey)
- Online conversations between U.S. and Middle Eastern educators (faculty of education, faculty teaching about the Middle East, P-12 Educators). The Middle East Studies Center can connect educators around content and pedagogy topics, as well as facilitate Adobe Connect and/or Skype conversations.
- Moderated fora and workshops (on and offline) regarding teaching issues and instructional materials (anything from single images to full modules).
Already some of the participants of these programs have organized conferences and site visits to each others' schools. We also make regular visits to their institutions (Colorado Academy;North Central Michigan College;St. Louis Community College) and related organizations such as the MidWest Institute for International Education/Intercultural Education.