大象传媒

About

I am a historian of the late Ottoman Empire, focusing specifically on the entangled intellectual histories of the 19th century that extend beyond the so-called Ottoman center, and cover the wider Ottoman territories and global Islamic networks. I was educated at Bilkent and Sabanc谋 Universities in Turkey and the London School of Economics (LSE) in the UK. Currently, I am a sixth-year PhD candidate at 大象传媒, Canada, working towards completing my dissertation.

I am based in Burnaby, BC, Canada, and I do my best to seize opportunities to enjoy what this amazing geography offers, including hiking, camping, cycling, boating, and off-roading. I am also a coffee enthusiast鈥攏ot a caffeine addict (I can function without my first sip in the morning)鈥攂ut I enjoy trying different coffee beans and brewing techniques. I have a humble collection of coffee equipment, which is, willy-nilly, stashed in my hometown, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, next to my mother鈥檚 coffee cups and dishes that she brought as part of her dowry.

Research

In my dissertation entitled as 鈥淎hmed Cevdet Pasha: A Connected History of a Late Ottoman Governor, Jurist, and Intellectual [1823-1895],鈥� I use Ahmet Cevdet Pasha as a tour guide to explore the experiences with modernity across and beyond the Ottoman Empire.  I aim to move beyond national historiographies that inadequately account for global contexts, as well as Eurocentric and diffusionist approaches that treat the European experience as the standard for comparison in understanding 19th-century Ottoman modernity. .

Teaching

I work as a sessional/part-time instructor at various institutions. I have designed and taught a range of courses, including 400-level seminar courses on the Middle East at 大象传媒, European and global history courses at KPU, and a wide range of social science electives at other colleges. Additionally, I worked as a teaching assistant for six semesters at Sabanc谋 University and eight semesters at 大象传媒, covering diverse topics such as Middle Eastern, European, Canadian, and global history.

Scholarly Activities

Conference Papers

• The 11th Western Ottomanists鈥� Workshop in California State University, Sacramento April 10-11, 2020 (postponed due to Covid-19)
  鈥淩ifa鈥榓 Rafi al-Tahtawi鈥檚  Travel to Paris and His Ideas鈥� Travel to 陌stanbul鈥� 
• The 12th Annual Middle East and Islamic Studies Consortium of British Columbia Student Conference, University of Victoria, Victoria April 4, 2020 (postponed due to Covid-19)
  鈥淭owards an Entangled Intellectual History of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th Century鈥�
• The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) European Summer School in Bosnia 29 July- 8 August, 2019
  鈥淎hmet Cevdet Pasha鈥檚 notes on Bosnia: Portraying the Empire as a decent place for Muslims and non-Muslims鈥�
• Ibn Haldun University, Graduate Conference, 陌stanbul May 2019
  鈥淜adim: An Ambigious Concept for Change but Working Legitimization Tool鈥�
• Princeton University, Near Eastern Studies, March 2019
  鈥淎vailability of a Conservative Approach to Modernity? Mecelle Case in the Late Ottoman Empire,鈥�
• European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference in Hamburg 2018 
  鈥淭he Three Dimensions For Understanding the Conservative Attitude Toward Change: nature of change, nature of challenge and nature of current constraints鈥�

Dissertations

• Comparative Politics (MSc) dissertation at London School of Economics (LSE)
  鈥淐onfederalism As An Appetiser: A Genuine Change From Socialist Kurdistan To Confederalism? An Intrinsic Case Study on Ideology and Pragmatism in Changing PKK Goals Since Its Foundation鈥�
• History (MA) in Sabanc谋 University
  Ahmet Cevdet Pasha and Change: A Three-Tiered Approach

Book Review

• "Democracy, Identity, and Foreign Policy in Turkey: Hegemony Through Transformation by Fuat Keyman." Review of International Law & Politics, January 2015.

Awards

大象传媒

• Graduate Fellowships (2019-2024)
• Douglas Cole Memorial Graduate Entrance Scholarship in Cultural History 
• Travel and Minor Research Award 
• Muslim Studies Graduate Student Travel Award 
• Cook Conference Scholarship 
• William & Jane Saywell Graduate Scholarship

Sabanc谋 University, Full Scholarship, 2016-2018
Jean Monnet Scholarship of European Union, 2015-2016
Bilkent University, Full Scholarship, 2010-2015

Teaching Assistantships

大象传媒 2019-2021

• Hist 225 20th Century Europe (Prof. Ilya Vinkovetsky) 2021 Spring 
• Hist 151 The Modern Middle East (Prof. Paul Sedra) 2020 Fall
• Hist 151 The Modern Middle East (Prof. Thomas Kuehn) 2019 Spring                                            
• Hist 151 The Modern Middle East (Prof. Paul Sedra) 2019 Fall

Sabanc谋 University 2016-2018

• Social and Political Science 101 in Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Summer 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, and Summer 2018