Study Philosophy, History, Religion, Culture, Languages, Economics and Politics in the Capital of Empires

Istanbul and the Bogazici University Campus

The main site is the strikingly beautiful campus of Bogazici University in Istanbul (formerly, Robert College, founded in 1863), perched on top of a hill overlooking the Bosphorus. The language of instruction in Bogazici is English for all courses (except courses in Turkish Language and Literature) and the curriculum offers a full range of topics in all areas of Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences, Economics and Business Administration, and Engineering.

The most prestigious institute of higher education in Turkey, a great majority of Bogazici's faculty members hold doctoral degrees from the best universities in the U.S. and the faculty body consists of a sizeable number of non-Turkish instructors. Bogazici's participation in international exchange programs also brings an international body of students to its campus every year.

The Duke in Istanbul program provides full access to the campus, library, computer clusters, and gym facilities and opportunities to mix and interact with the other Turkish and international students of the university. Bogazici regularly sponsors cultural activities, concerts, and a movie series on campus, as well conferences, workshops and seminars, all open to the student body.

The campus is located in a lively section of the city with many inexpensive restaurants and cafes, frequented by students and open until late hours. Inexpensive meals at the campus cafeteria are also available for lunch and dinner. The neighborhood of the university is extremely safe, and public transportation and taxi cabs are easily accessible and inexpensive.

The instructor of this course, Güven Güzeldere, is an alumnus of Bogazici University, and he is very familiar with both the campus and the city. He will be staying either at the dorms or a nearby residence, and be easily accessible to the students in the program.

Photographs of the campus and the dormitories can be seen here:

 

Bogazici has a lively international summer school between June-August every year, and there will also be other international students during the academic year on campus to meet and interact with. All Bogazici students have good to excellent level of English proficiency.

For more information about Bogazici University, click here.

 

 

ACCOMODATIONS: During the semester, students will stay in the university's newest dormitory, the Superdorm, in suites of three or four single rooms with a common kitchen, bathroom, and living-room space. The students can choose to be placed in suites with other international students, or a mix of Bogazici students.

The rooms at the Superdorm all have high-speed Internet access and individual phone lines. There is a cafeteria, a small convenience store, a computer cluster, and laundromat within the building. Students will also have access to the track field and gym across from the Superdorm.

There are several inexpensive eateries and cafes within walking distance of the Superdorm crowded by the Bogazici students and open until late hours, as well as plenty of grocery and convenience stores, photocopy shops, pharmacies, and a 24-hour health clinic. The Bogazici Library and the classrooms are within walking distance. Public transportation is plentiful and easily accessible from the Superdorm.

ON-SITE STAFF: The program director Guven Guzeldere is an associate professor of Philosophy at Duke University, who has been running the Duke in Turkey Summer Program since 2005. Professor Guzeldere will be in residence in Istanbul throughout the program and available to students at all times.

The program's resident director, Sarah Carpenter Kilinc, M.A., is a Duke alumnae and a former Fulbright scholar, who has been living in Istanbul for over three years.   Mrs. Carpenter Kilinc holds a masters degree in Turkish Republican History, speaks the language fluently, and has served as the Program Coordinator in the Duke in Turkey Summer Program in 2006..

Additionally, Bogazici University makes available the services of Mrs. Tomru Onalp, the International Scholars and Students advisor, for assistance to the Duke in Istanbul students in academic or personal issues.

 

THE CITY: Istanbul is a multi-faceted cosmopolitan city, where the ancient and the modern are intertwined at every corner. While it offers a rich variety of cultural and culinary venues and a hopping night life, Istanbul is relatively safe and inexpensive, especially when compared to cities of similar size (approximate population: 10 million). Travel and Leisure magazine has recently rated Istanbul the 3rd Best City in Europe, and the 8th Best City in the world for travellers.

Public transportation (city busses, subway, tram, train, and ferry boats) is easily accessible, frequent, and very inexpensive. Taxi cabs are also easy find with reasonable fares.

For telecommunications, it is easy to rent or buy a used cell-phone with a pre-paid card, even though there are public phones all over the campus and the city. Outside the campus, Internet access is available in Internet Cafes throughout the town, and some regular cafes also provide wireless access.

Some 360-degree panoramic shots of Istanbul can be viewed through the below links:

Princess Islands (Buyukada)

Old City (Sultanahmet)

Used Bookstores District (Sahaflar)

Beyoglu-Taksim District