Conference: Contemporary Turkish Studies at a Glance - Topics, Institutions and Future Perspectives

Date: October 13-14, 2012
Place: Santral Campus, E1-E3-E4

Concept:
Despite the growing international importance of Turkey, the country’s possible EU-membership and the large number of citizens with Turkish background in European societies, only a few academic institutions in Europe focus on contemporary Turkish Studies. At the same time, little effort has been made to institutionalize cooperation between relevant actors in the field of Turkish Studies in Europe and Turkey. Consequently, material and intellectual capacities are frequently wasted and the opportunity for mutual academic enrichment is lost. The international conference Contemporary Turkish Studies at a Glance – Topics, Institutions and Future Perspectives, taking place on October 13&14, 2012 at Istanbul Bilgi University, Santral Campus, aims to fill this gap by bringing together the most important institutions, organizations and individual scholars from Europe and Turkey who are engaged in Turkish Studies. The conference will provide an opportunity for an interdisciplinary debate within different fields of research and will allow the participants to build networks for future cooperation.

Outline:
The two-day conference will give young scholars involved in Turkish Studies the chance to present their papers to some of the most renowned scholars and institutions in the field. Scholars will be given the chance to position themselves in the international research community and to debate related topics and research questions in an interdisciplinary environment. The event will be framed by key-note speeches by some of the most prestigious scholars in the field. Furthermore, in four different panels, chaired by renowned experts, central issues and research questions for Turkish Studies will be discussed in-depth.
The topics, framing the presentations and discussions of the panels, were announced in a Call for Papers, and the most innovative and outstanding papers selected and will be presented during the event. Each day will finish with a roundtable discussion highlighting the outcome of the panels and the implications for Turkish Studies as an interdisciplinary and applied area of study. Additionally, while the conference is underway, organizations, journals and other actors engaged with Turkish Studies will set-up stands to exhibit their work and publications.

Publication:
After the conference, a publication is planned in order to compile a snapshot of the current state of Turkish Studies in Europe and to summarize the event.

Click for the CONFERENCE PROGRAM.