Institute for the History of Science

Good day, sir. I am İhsan FAZLIOĞLU. I am the Director of the Science History Institute at Istanbul Medeniyet University. The Science History Institute at Istanbul Medeniyet University is a relatively new and young institute. It was established approximately 1 year ago, and the establishment phase is still ongoing. We hope that it will be located within the Istanbul Medeniyet University campus, although a specific location has not been determined yet. The Science History Institute aims to examine and research the historical development of science on both a global scale and within the context of Islamic Turkish civilization. It involves preparing and publishing critical texts on the history of science, evaluating them, and conveying to present generations what humanity has achieved within the framework of science. Our institute is primarily composed of various departments. These include mathematics, natural sciences, life sciences, science instruments and technology, and scientific institutions and the circulation of knowledge. Within this framework, the institute will analyze all the scientific studies conducted throughout human history in these fields based on scientific criteria and social science methodology, and publish them in journals and articles. The institute will primarily offer two academic programs: a master's program and a doctoral program, which will be conducted in both English and Turkish. In these programs, as mentioned earlier, master's and doctoral students will receive education, conduct research, and write theses within the scope of the aforementioned departments. They will also publish their research in an academic journal issued by the institute. The Science History Institute is relatively rare on the international stage. Our institute will establish various cooperation agreements with institutions in countries such as Germany and the United States. Furthermore, we intend to establish connections with universities in various countries such as the Middle East and the Far East, which also have researchers working in the field of history of science. Our academic staff consists mainly of experts in various fields of science who study their historical aspects. They include scholars in the fields of mathematics history, physics history, biology history, history of scientific instruments, history of scientific institutions, universities, and madrasas. Although we do not currently have international collaborations, once we complete our establishment phase, we plan to develop joint projects, publications, and organize symposiums and conferences with science history institutions in the mentioned countries. Our student admission profile is quite broad. However, our preferences can be met by having a knowledge of a specific discipline such as mathematics, astronomy, or biology, followed by proficiency in classical languages such as Latin, Greek, or Arabic. Familiarity with philosophy education to some extent also reflects the basic qualities we expect from our students. The institute has various programs and goals, including publishing an academic journal, establishing a museum to exhibit scientific instruments and related materials of science history, providing public education on the history of science, and engaging in discussions and debates on science history issues with our international partners at international symposiums and conferences. We welcome those who are curious about the experience of humanity in the realm of science. Science is currently one of the most important tools in our contemporary world, and therefore, the history of science signifies the history of humanity itself. We invite those who are interested in exploring the history of science to join our institute in their quest to understand the history of humanity.