I was pleasantly surprised by how intellectually enriching an experience I found participating in the CAIS Turkish program to be. It turned out to be one of the highlights of my MECA major and of my undergraduate studies in general. The courses were taught in a manner that prioritised student engagement, and were among the most interactive and fascinating of any others I’d taken prior. Readings and lecture content were introduced to students alongside a wide range of literature, art, music, film, propaganda, artefacts and news media, which enabled us to broaden our perspectives in relation to the region, and to gain a holistic understanding of Ottoman and Turkish history, culture and politics. I particularly appreciated that the assessments were non-traditional and allowed us to pursue our areas of interest. I felt that the diversity of the program content contributed greatly to making each and every course incredibly enjoyable, in addition to proving very useful, as much of what I learned complemented my coursework in both of my degrees. I would highly recommend that anyone considering undertaking a MECA major, minor, degree, or electives at CAIS, participates in at least one of the courses in the Turkish program.