It’s a small world. During the last few years the links that connect the country of Turkey and Emory University have become stronger and more abundant, thanks in large part to the efforts of Carl R. Holladay, Charles Howard Candler Professor of New Testament Studies. Holladay decided three years ago, as a part of a commentary he was writing on the Book of Acts, to visit Turkey, since many of the events addressed in Acts occurred in present-day Turkey.
“When I came back I said, we have to take [Emory] students because the experience of going to another land changes the way in which we experience the biblical text, and in this case the why to teaching the biblical text,” Holladay said. After this trip three years ago, he helped implement a teaching trip to Turkey for Candler faculty and students in the Graduate Division of Religion. When he returned, the Provost’s Office tapped Holladay as a resource when planning for further dialogue with Turkey, inviting him to share what he had learned in his travels with a group of Emory University administrators. Holladay outlined the extensive connections that exist between Emory and Turkey, including, at the time, the twenty-two Emory students who are Turkish natives—six at Emory College, six in the business school, and about 10 matriculating in PhD programs in fields ranging from biochemistry to history.
Emory has faculty in history, political science, theology, religion, and Middle Eastern studies with research interests in Turkey. What’s more, Emory has a long-standing relationship with Bogazici University, a private institution in Turkey, and is working to establish a similar relationship with Kocaeli University. The relationships increase the number of faculty and student exchanges, thus enrichening teaching and learning both on and off campus.
Additionally, the Michael C. Carlos Museum has developed several relationships around Turkish antiquities. Emory’s interest in Turkey derives from a desire to cultivate and establish deeper ties to a Muslim country that is not Arab, said Holladay. “It is a modern secular democracy that offers a lot of possibilities to Emory at many levels.”
As technology makes the world smaller, it will be increasingly important to create connections between countries and institutions, creating a solid foundation for commonground between groups. Emory is leading the way with its emerging relationship to Turkey, and Holladay is playing an important role in strengthening these links.
