Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey

1. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey www.ozanormeci.com DR. OZAN ÖRMECİ

2. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey WHO IS ACADEMICIAN? Academician means a full member of an association or institution for the advancement of arts, sciences or letters. When we use the term “academician” or “academic” we generally refer to university professors. We also use the term “scholar”, which means “a learned or erudite person who has profound knowledge of a particular subject”.

3. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey WHO IS ACADEMICIAN? The term comes from the word “academy”, which means “a school or college for special instruction or training in a subject”. The term “academy” comes from ancient Greek word “akademeia” that refers to a special school of philosophy established by famous ancient Greek philosopher Plato (424 BC-348 BC).

4. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey “HOCA” IN TURKEY Ottoman-Turkish education system highly differed from Western university system. However, starting from the 19th century modernization reforms, modern university system has began to be established in Turkey. This was accelerated after Republican Revolution of 1923 and Kemalist reforms that followed the revolution.

5. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey “HOCA” IN TURKEY In Turkish, we have terms like “akademisyen” or “profesör”, exact counterparts of their Latin. However, probably because of Turkey’s “sui generis” tradition, students and even scholars prefer the term “hoca”. “Hoca” means both a “teacher” and a “chaplain” (religious authority).

6. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME PROBLEMS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 1. Academician or public servant? According to higher education law, except for academicians in foundation-based universities, all Turkish scholars are legally both academicians and public servants. By its nature academician seeks the truth and has universal aims whereas public servant is the defender of its own state and has national aims.

7. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME PROBLEMS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 2. Financial problems Academician wages are definitely low in Turkey. This means much more than a difficult life for academicians since the situation decreases a scholar’s motivation, education and research quality and also opportunity to develop himself and his students.

8. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME PROBLEMS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 3. Technological and physical impossibilities Especially in provincial universities, we have a great lack of technology and some physical problems related to education and research. Scholars have 30 to 50 hours lessons per week (good for compensating low wages).

9. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME PROBLEMS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 4. Unfair competition and political pressures There is no meritocracy and reward mechanism in Turkish academia and this discourages hard-work. Politics take command over university and academic successes. Prime Minister Menderes in the past called university professors as “kara cüppeli (black-robed)” for denouncing them for being non-Muslim or not enough Muslim. Today Prime Minister Erdogan has similar criticism of Turkish scholars. Some scholars were imprisoned in Turkey because of their political views.

10. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME PROBLEMS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 5. Higher Board of Education (YÖK) YÖK was established after 12 September 1980 coup in the times of authoritarian military regime. YÖK might be necessary in terms of coordination but in Turkey YÖK has extensive powers and this limits the autonomy and independence of universities and academicians.

11. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME PROBLEMS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 6. Jealousy and academic tricks Academicians are not organized and they act as their rivals instead of showing solidarity. Working hard for years but earning less money and respect probably make them angry and jealous.

12. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY Intimate relations with students Professor-student relation includes a special bond between two sides which is considered as healthy by many developmental psychologists. This case is absolutely true in Turkey since many young students learn about life and controversial issues such as politics, sexuality etc. in university.

13. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 2. Social respect (status) For Max Weber, social hierarchy and stratification was the product of two main things: class position and status. Being academician has a lower class position but higher social status compared to many professions. This might not be that strong in Turkey but this is still valid. (Hoca charisma works!)

14. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 3. Forever Young and Benjamin Button effect? Living among youth and arguing with them gives academicians a kind of special power for staying young and even getting rejuvenated both mentally and physically.

15. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS OF BEING ACADEMICIAN IN TURKEY 4. Immortality by books and articles Academicians are the people who want to be immortal and leave the traces of their existence into this world via their books and articles. We remember some great names of science even after many centuries.

16. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey BEING ACADEMICIAN IN 21ST CENTURY Being academician in 21st century means you have to be quick, not boring, catchy, charismatic and somehow mysterious in order to attract students’ attention to the lessons (more than internet, dvds, beautiful girls & handsome boys) and to gain their respect. Being academician in 21st century means knowing and encouraging interdisciplinary work. Being academician in 21st century means you have to learn how to detect plagiarism and to dissuade students from doing it.

17. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey BEING ACADEMICIAN IN 21ST CENTURY Being academician in 21st century means you must learn how to use internet properly and scholarly. Being academician in 21st century means having international friendships and to follow all significant developments in your area of expertise. Being academician in 21st century means you have to deal with young people who think they can learn everything in a minute from Google.

18. Independence of the Academicians in the Academic Life: Successes and Failures in Turkey CONCLUSION Being academician in Turkey and in elsewhere is prestigious but also very difficult. In Turkey we have some additional problems to classical scholar maladies. - Arbeit macht frei (Hard-work sets you free) ! *** “Academic chairs are many, but wise and noble teachers are few; lecture-rooms are numerous and large, but the number of young people who genuinely thirst after truth and justice is small.” – Albert Einstein