Studying elementary Turkish language courses led me to a fascinating Turkic-speaking world. Many students may not realise that Turkish language is the foundation for over 30 language groups such as Azeri, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uzbek. Therefore, I feel knowing Turkish would undoubtedly open up more opportunities to enter a variety of career paths or further studies in the Turkic-speaking world.
In order to have a better understanding of the Turkish language in its historic and cultural contexts, I enrolled in the course ‘Modern Turkey: History, Culture and Regional Relations’, which is also offered in the Turkish studies programme. I found that this course provided me with an in depth look at Turkish domestic politics, foreign affairs, and modern Turkey in connection with global economic issues and social conflicts.
In summary, it has been a wonderful experience for me to study the Turkish programme with CAIS. The studies not only enhance my intellectual development and provide me with an in depth look at Turkey, they also allow me to draw global connections and analyse the influences between Turkey and other countries. Upon completing my Masters program, I am enrolling in a PhD in order to further develop my research.