The U, in conjunction with the Turkish Coalition of America, is instituting a new five-year program of Turkish studies.
The $1 million program, “The Origins of Modern Ethnic Cleansing: The Collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Emergence of Nation States in the Balkans and Caucasus,” will examine how conflicting historical narratives are shaping the political debate in modern Turkey, said Hakan Yavuz, director of the program and a professor in the Middle East Center.
The program will examine the major historical events that have occurred in and around Turkey before and after World War I. Some of the topics include tragedies ranging from ethnic cleansing of the Muslim community to the forced migration from territories that were once occupied by Turkey.
Yavuz said they hope to introduce new ideas and understandings of the conflicts. The program will also examine the process of collective memory formation and its implication on contemporary politics of Turkey.
In launching this project, the U will have an opportunity to become a front-runner in Turkish studies, said Heidi Camp, assistant dean for advancement and research in the College of Humanities. The project will provide five three-year fellowships for graduate students, where they will have the opportunity to work with Yavuz.
“It’s exciting to be working with a professor who is well-connected with Turkey and who has studied ethnic conflict,” said Brad Dennis, a graduate student in Middle Eastern studies.
The project will also serve as a training ground for future experts of Turkish studies.
“This project allows the center to educate a new generation of scholars who are interested in studying modern Turkey,” said Bahman Baktiari, who was selected in November to serve as the director of the Middle East Center. “I am delighted that our students have this opportunity to study Turkey and its rich culture and society.”
Along with the fellowships, the project will conduct a series of conferences. There will be one every year during a five-year period, beginning with “The Empire to Nation-State: The Post-Berlin Treaty.”
“The project provides funding for conferences, in which the Middle East Center faculty and their colleagues from other departments can participate and present their research,” Baktiari said.
The program will also provide one position for a new research professor, as well as an opportunity for yearly publications. Yavuz said he plans to print books about their research on the Ottoman Empire and Turkey.
“It provides an important opportunity for the center to build new bridges between Turkish universities and the University of Utah through faculty and student exchange,” Baktiari said.
Faculty members and students have expressed excitement for the project to commence.