Duke FOCUS Program: The Middle East & Islam in Global Contexts
The Middle East and Islam in Global Contexts introduces students to the culture, politics and, religions of the Middle East. In addition to providing a historical survey, this FOCUS cluster explores the significance of the region to the United States, from foreign policy objectives to diaspora communities. The geographic focus of this cluster ranges widely, including the study of the ancient Middle East, the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan and Middle East diasporas in Europe, Asia, and the US.
Boğaziçi University is a public university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and was the first American higher education institution founded outside the United States. Boğaziçi University is among the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in Turkey, allowing it to attract many of Turkey’s most promising students. Its particular strengths lie in engineering, education, the social sciences and the applied sciences.
Turkish Studies at UNC offers many exciting opportunities to learn Turkish and to study, conduct research on, and learn more about Turkey and Turkish/Turkic populations across the world. UNC-Chapel Hill is one of few universities in the United States to offer Turkish language courses, to have a number of faculty and students specializing in Turkish Studies, and to organize a series of events in Turkish Studies.
The Institute of Turkish Studies
Founded and incorporated in the District of Columbia in 1982, the Institute of Turkish Studies (ITS) is the only non-profit, private educational foundation in the United States exclusively dedicated to the support and development of Turkish Studies in American higher education. The Institute is an independent, tax exempt organization and does not seek to influence legislation nor advocate particular policies or agendas.
The Moon and Stars Project was founded in 2002 in New York as a not-for-profit, all-volunteer organization, dedicated to promoting greater cultural interaction between the United States and Turkey, and highlighting the changing face of Turkey’s arts and culture scene. Moon and Stars Project programs incorporate traditional and contemporary programs in music, visual arts, theater and film, as well as, project sponsorships and grants, scholarships and summer residency programs.
The Turkish Cultural Foundation
The Turkish Cultural Foundation was established on January 1, 2000. The Foundation’s main goals can be summarized as promoting and preserving Turkish culture and heritage worldwide, through original programs and cooperation with like minded organizations; supporting education, research, documentation and publication in the humanities related to Turkey; and supporting the preservation of Turkish cultural heritage abroad.
The Nâzım Hikmet Poetry Festival
Nâzım Hikmet Ran was a Turkish poet, playwright, and novelist. He was recognized as the first and foremost modern Turkish poet, and regarded throughout the world as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century for the “lyrical flow of his statements.” Described as a “romantic revolutionary,” his humanistic views are universal. The idea of a festival as a tribute to this preeminent poet emerged among friends in the NC Turkish community who appreciated his work and ideals of his life.
Duke University Middle Eastern Studies Center
The Duke University Middle East Studies Center (DUMESC) is a hub for research, education, and outreach that serves as a forum at the local, national and international levels. It prepares tomorrow’s leaders by equipping them with knowledge about Middle Eastern languages, cultures, and societies and is distinguished by its transregional approach to the Middle East.
The Museum of Innocence is both a novel by Orhan Pamuk and a museum he has set up. From the very beginnings of the project, since the 1990s, Pamuk has conceived of novel and museum together. The novel, which is about love, is set between 1974 and the early ’00s, and describes life in Istanbul between 1950 and 2000 through memories and flashbacks centered around two families – one wealthy, the other lower middle class.
Time Out Istanbul is an online resource which provides information on music, food, culture, books, shopping and films relevant to Istanbul and Turkey more generally.
