Duke University : Global Education for Undergraduates

Duke in Turkey

June 28 to August 9, 2016

* See the Program Schedule page for a more detailed itinerary, including information regarding travel to and from the program site.

The Duke Global Education Office for Undergraduates (GEO-U) offers a six-week, two-course program at Bogazici University in Istanbul. Students from all disciplines are welcome.

Bogazici University is a strikingly beautiful campus that sits on a hill by the Bosphorus, the body of water that divides the continents of Asia and Europe. Istanbul is an incredibly rich city in its multi-cultural history, arts, and contemporary life. Students have the opportunity to explore the city and other regions of Turkey.

Check out the 2015 Duke in Turkey Blog!

PROGRAM NOTE: The program is strenuous. There is extensive walking and some climbing. Our experience has been that participants must be in good physical condition to be able to participate successfully. Therefore, we ask that you consider your general health, physical abilities, and stamina (including problems with diet and medication) before applying to this program.

STUDENT VOICES

The experience in Turkey was certainly one that I will never forget; I learned much more from being in Istanbul than I would have ever learned from the textbooks. Daily conversations and being exposed to the environment placed me in a unique learning situation. Not only did I learn a lot about how people's lives differ from my own, but I also understood how environmental issues and global tensions can tangibly affect other people across the world.

-Summer 2014 Student

    • Postcard from Abroad
    • Postcard from Abroad

    • Dear Global Education Office for Undergraduates:

      The time that I spent in Turkey this past summer was one of the best experiences of my life. I picked the Duke in Turkey program because Turkey offered a unique blend of European and Middle Eastern culture that I was eager to experience. Istanbul was a fabulous city that offered so much to do. Be it exploring a 500 year old mosque, attending a concert during the Jazz festival, or taking a ferry over to the Asian side of the city for a day, Istanbul always offered something fascinating to do. I often forgot that I was not in a major Western European metropolis until the noise of the city was pierced by the afternoon call to prayer, reminding me that I was in a place so similar, and yet so totally different, from anywhere I had been before.

      The excursion we took outside the city allowed me to see other wonders the country offered, from the alien landscape of Cappadocia to watching the sunset from Aristotle’s Academy.

      Study abroad expanded my world view tremendously and gave me the opportunity to explore a part of the world I might not be willing to go by myself. I encourage students to study abroad in order to see the world from a perspective they might not have previously considered. And my advice to students studying abroad: Take lots of pictures, write about your experience, and don’t be worried if you don’t speak the language!

      – Katie Zimmerman

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