For the next two weeks, St. Thomas University will host Dr. Besim Can Zırh, a scholar with the Global International Studies visiting scholar program.
Can Zırh is an assistant professor of sociology at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, the alma mater of STU professor Gül Çalışkan.
Çalışkan thinks there should be an exchange program between St. Thomas University and METU. She and Can Zırh will meet with administration and try to shape the program.
“I’m very thrilled that we have this chance to have him over,” said Çalışkan. “We will be collaborating on two major issues.”
Çalışkan and Can Zırh will work together for two weeks. She said they will be exploring global protests and resistance as well as diaspora and racialized communities in different countries. They plan to focus on global context of the Giza protests.
Can Zırh and Çalışkan will be giving a talk on modern global protests and resistance on Jan. 28 in the Ted Daigle Auditorium.
“We are extremely excited to be working with students,” said Çalışkan. “I told him about St. Thomas. We have strong students with small class sizes.” At METU Can Zırh teaches upwards of 100 students per class.
Can Zırh will be collaborating with other professors in various fields during his two week stay. “He is very interdisciplinary,” said Çalışkan. “We are both looking forward to that collaboration at an academic level.”
In addition to the global protest speech, Can Zırh will be guest lecturing in five separate classes in four different faculties. Those faculties include history, gerontology, sociology and political science.
