The State of Turkey’s Academia: No Space for Critical Thinking?

The University of Ghent will host a public debate to discuss the ongoing purges of Turkey’s academia which some have argued amount to an “academicide.” Three exiled academics from Turkey will speak about their personal experiences, point to the political logic behind the dismissals, and illustrate the climate that has made them possible. They will debate what the implications of the mass dismissals are not only for Turkey, but also for the wider region, the Middle East, and not Europe’s universities and democratic institutions.

They will debate what the implications of the mass dismissals are not only for Turkey, but also for the wider region, the Middle East, and not Belgium’s universities and democratic institutions.

Panel participants:
Dr. Bediz Yılmaz, Philipp Schwartz Fellow, Institute of Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS), University of Osnabrück, Germany
Dr. Engin Sustam, Assistant Professor, Université Paris 8 Saint-Denis, France
Prof. Dr. Serdar M. Değirmencioğlu, Visiting Scholar, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium