One of the main objectives of the New Initiative for Middle East Peace (NIMEP) is immersive education. We try to give Tufts students a different perspective on issues related to the Middle East through several avenues, one of which is the yearly research trip to Turkey that we’re planning right now. This year, we’ll be spending several weeks in January 2014 exploring Istanbul and Ankara and interviewing policymakers, journalists, academics, activists and others from across civil society to answer an array of questions ranging from Turkey’s role in the Syrian conflict to its relationships with other Mediterranean nations. The trip is organized by NIMEP’s student leaders, giving everyone involved in interesting look into rigorous on-site academic research.
Preparing for this year’s trip has already begun in earnest and we’re looking forward to taking a group of eight excellent students with us, accompanied by Tufts Professor Ethan Corbin. Before we leave for Turkey in January, we will have read several hundred pages of preparatory material, written 20 page research overviews, and conducted interviews with experts on Turkey from around the Boston area. The next few months will definitely be rigorous but we’re all looking forward to this unique experience.
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