Saturday, July 27, 2013

Top (Best) Universities in Turkey based on World Rankings




I will briefly highlight basic facts of Turkish universities’ ranking status. There are only three institutions considered as highly influential rankings dedicated to ranked universities worldwide (kindly check their websites for regular updates of universities' current standings/rankings): 

1. Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE-WUR)
<http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/>
2. QS World University Rankings (QS-WUR)
<http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings>
3. Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)
<http://www.shanghairanking.com/>



The THE-WUR is reputedly and arguably considered as the most influential among all international university rankings worldwide. Below are the positions of Turkish universities in the following rankings based on their recent publications for 2012-2013.


There are only five Turkish universities entered the top 400 THE-WUR 2012-2013:

- Second (tied) is Bilkent University ranked at 226-250.


- Second (tied) is Koç University ranked at 226-250.


- Third (tied) is Boğaziçi University ranked at 276-300.


- Third (tied) is Istanbul Technical University ranked at 276-300.


There are nine Turkish universities entered the QS-WUR 2012-2013:
- First is Bilkent University ranked at 401-450.
- Second is Middle East Technical University (METU) or also known as Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi (ODTÜ) ranked at 451-500.
- Third (tied) is Koç University ranked at 501- 550.
- Third (tied) is Istanbul Technical University ranked at 501- 550.
- Third (tied) is Sabancı University ranked at 501- 550.
- Fourth (tied) is Boğaziçi University ranked at 551-600.
- Fourth (tied) is Istanbul University ranked at 551-600.
- Fourth (tied) is Hacettepe University ranked at 551-600.
- Fifth is Çukurova University ranked at 600+.


There is only one Turkish university entered the ARWU 2012:
- Istanbul University ranked at 401-500.


The purpose of this post is to provide prospective students a bird’s eye view of how Turkish universities fare in international rankings, which may also orient them regarding comparisons with other country’s academic institutions. This is not to divert or affect one’s choice or selection on what educational (undergraduate/graduate) program(s) s/he would likely to apply because there are also other significant variables aside from rankings.

In my personal view, there are only three institutions of higher learning that have maintained international standard and world class status, and these are the premier and elite Turkish universities in their respective order:

1st premier and elite (public) institution is Middle East Technical University founded in 1956.
2nd premier and elite (private) institution is Bilkent University founded in 1984.
3rd premier and elite (public) institution is Boğaziçi University founded in 1863.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

International Relations and Islam: Diverse Perspectives





International Relations and Islam: Diverse Perspectives presents the idea of finding a middle way or common ground of understanding between two bodies of knowledge conceived from two different hemispheres of the world; namely, International Relations (IR), a social science discipline conceived in the UK and the US (the West), and Islam or Islamic Studies which was conceived in the Arab world and developed in Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and many non-Arab countries. The book is divided into two main sections; the first being general perspectives from different backgrounds or cases concerning Islam. The second part specifically examines Turkey, offering various perspectives on the significance of this country and its democratic experience. 

The contributions included in this volume range from discussions on the Islamic veil and its associated stereotypes to an article on Islamic feminism. Other subjects discussed include the issues of Muslim integration, Turkey’s international relations, and Islam’s relationship with democracy, in addition to a biographical representation of the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu, detailing his scholarship and its impact on Turkey’s foreign policy.

This edited book is part of the mission-vision of the IR-IS Research Cohort, an e-networking community interested in advancing comparative research between International Relations and Islamic Studies.

Contributors: Jessica L. Daniels, Didem Doğanyılmaz, Gökhan Duman, Alessandra L. González, İştar Gözaydın and Ari Varon.

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing