2006 NAES International Conference
Venue: Bogazici University, Istanbul
Date: November 15-17, 2006

I am very pleased to be the first international member of the NAES Board. It was George Junne from the University of Northern Colorado who first introduced NAES to me. I attended the Vancouver Conference in 2002, the Phoenix Conference in 2003 and the Chicago Conference in 2005 with my colleagues. In the meantime, we hosted NAES President Larry Estrada at an American Studies Conference we held at Bogazici University in 2003. George Junne also taught several courses at BU. He has become a much-admired and popular professor among many students. It is through the initiation by Larry Estrada and George Junne that the idea of holding a joint BU-NAES Conference in Istanbul gained momentum. Last year, the NAES Board accepted the proposal.

My colleagues and I are very excited about this prospect. We strongly believe in the value of academic interactions and international relations. The conference will give NAES members a chance to visit Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey, formerly the capital of the Ottoman Empire and earlier, under the name Costantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. At the junction of two continents, Asia and Europe, Istanbul has become one of the foremost industrial, commercial, and cultural centers of the region. It is not just any other metropolis; it is a legendary city of color, diversity, energy, and conflict. Situated on seven hills, it is divided by the Bosphorous Strait and all of the history that this special space holds. While the East is the Asian side, the West is the European side.

Overlooking the Bosphorous, Bogazici University is set on a hill with a magnificent view. To the northern end of BU*s south campus lies the Rumeli Fortress built by Sultan Mehmet to aid him in conquering the city in 1453. Founded in 1863 as Robert College by two Americans * Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, an educator, inventor, and architect, and Christopher Rheinlander Robert, a well-known philanthropist and wealthy merchant from NewYork. Bogazici University has been a state university since 1971. It is the most competitive university in Turkey, admitting students from the top one percent of the students who have taken the university entrance exam. The sound academic traditions of Robert College form the nucleus of Bogazici University have been expanding both physically and academically. A highly prestigious institution, not only in Turkey but also in Europe and the Middle East, Bogazici University has become truly international in the last few years.

BU is now looking forward to hosting NAES members at the BU-NAES Conference in Nov. 2006. Fall is beautiful in Istanbul, and we look forward to welcoming NAES, its members and our international colleagues.

Asli Tekinay

Dr. Asli Tekinay is a professor at Western Languages and Literatures Department, American Studies Program, Coordinator at Bogazici University and the newest member of the NAES Board of Directors