From September 2003 onwards, the Turkish Studies Department of Leiden University will offer a unique programme for graduates with an interest in Turkey, the Ottoman Empire and Central Asia. Two options are offered: a one-year MA degree programme in Turkish Studies and a two-year research MA in Turkish Studies with the option to continue with a Ph.D. research programme. The courses are offered in Leiden and in Istanbul, at Sabanci University. Fieldwork in Turkey or Central Asia is a compulsary part of the programme. Students of the two-year programme can opt for spending time at the Khazar University in Azerbaijan.

More detailed information on the department and its teaching and research programmes can be found at www.let.leidenuniv.nl/tcimo/tulp . For more information, please contact Leiden University Worldwide (Email below).

The objectives are firstly to gain insight into the dynamics of modernisation in Turkey and Central Asia, with an eye on the legacy of the past as well as on long term political, social, economic and cultural developments. Secondly, to gain research experience in Turkey or Central Asia. Successful completion of an MA can also lead to more advanced PhD research. Academic responsibility rests with Prof. Dr. E.J. Zürcher, the chairholder of Turkish studies at Leiden University.

The Turkish Studies Department of Leiden University is one of the largest research and teaching departments in its field in Europe. The department has close links to the Turkish academic and intellectual world, resulting in a constant inflow of Turkish MA and Ph.D. students. The department of Turkish Studies combines expertise in the languages of the region with strong historically oriented research programmes.