Dear list,
Our university, Bogazici
University in Istanbul (Turkey), which is a university that recruits its students from the top 0.1 percentile
in a nationwide SAT-like exam, has been confronted with a rector appointment through the ruling power which completely bypassed the university’s consent. The ruling power has legalized such a top-down process in 2018 (despite
the fact that is counters article 130 of the constitution which acknowledges administrative autonomy of universities) but
so far never exercised it for its top institutions, but now it has. Since the appointment of this person who does not even fulfill the criteria for professorship at our university, we are protesting this appointment since it also runs against our 2012 Principles
of Governance announced by our university Senate. It will be a long and tenacious resistance, both from the faculty side (97% of our faculty did not consent to this appointment and every noon –in shifts- we turn our backs to the rectorate in a silent 30-min
vigil, see below) and the student side (see below). Indeed, not just us but the whole country seems angry at this move by the ruling party but we also know why this was done.
The reason for this mail, not
to bore you, is that I have a student in my music cognition I class who is writing poetry and is keenly interested in the interplay of language, music, and rhythm. I
know one or two labs in the UK but am not sure whether they are still supported by Erasmus internship funding. Because our students are from modest social backgrounds, the only way for her to join a lab as an intern would be via Erasmus (hence it would have
to be any of the European Union countries). Normally we have our students do their homework, find those labs and do the correspondence themselves, but since they are currently overwhelmed with what is going on and literally resisting 7/24 I wanted to give
a hand.
If there are any such labs doing research around those topics and who’d be interested in hosting an intern via Erasmus, I would appreciate it if you could send me a private mail.
I know this kind of a “call” is unusual but we are currently going through the harshest times ever, so any such solidarity will be most appreciated.
Thank you so much in advance,
With kind regards,
Esra Mungan
PS1: Our university teaches in English so our students are quite equipped in that sense.
PS2: It took me one hour to decide whether I should send this mail or not but then decided to do so..
Esra Mungan
Assistant Professor
Psychological Sciences MA Program Advisor
Bogazici University
Psychology Dept.
Istanbul-TURKEY
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