Academic Alliances
As of Summer 2026, Yeditepe University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences has become an affiliate of Harvard University’s Institute for World Literature (IWL). Established as an advanced program to explore the study of world literature in a globalizing world, IWL’s scholarly emphasis expands “beyond the classic canon of European masterpieces” towards “a far-reaching inquiry into the variety of the world’s literary cultures and their distinctive reflections and refractions of the political, economic, and religious forces sweeping the globe.” Through the approaches of a diverse range of contemporary critical theories in the study of world literary traditions, the IWL serves as a premier international hub for advanced research and scholarly collaboration. This prestigious partnership promises a pathway to connect our graduate students and junior researchers with a global network of leading literary theorists and international peers.
We believe that this affiliation will be a great opportunity for our students and colleagues particularly at English, Turkish, Russian, and Comparative Literature, as well as Translation Studies programs. Moreover, while the primary subject area of research at IWL is literary studies, the theoretical component of the work being done overlaps with a broad range of humanities and social sciences fields within the purview of critical theories, including but not limited to cultural studies, philosophy, history, political sciences, anthropology, sociology, psychology, gender studies, and environmental studies among many others.
The IWL Summer Program
The Institute for World Literature holds a 4-week summer program in July every year. It brings together graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior academics from all around world for seminars, lectures, and colloquia. Participants may also attend only the first or second half (2-week) of the course.
This summer program comprises of seminars, colloquia, and lectures:
Seminars are small-group, high-impact classes led by prominent figures in world literature and critical theory. They explore diverse topics, ranging from historical literary cartographies to contemporary cultural sphere, as well as translation practices, digital humanities, interdisciplinary studies and the like, providing intense theoretical immersion. Past seminar leaders include Susan Bassnett, Ursula Heise, Franco Moretti, Bruce Robbins, Gisèle Sapiro, Lawrence Venuti, Rebecca Walkowitz, and many more.
Research Colloquia are designed to facilitate active peer review in small groups. They are held weekly to allow the participants to present their ongoing research projects and receive immediate, constructive feedback from an international cohort working within similar fields.
Plenary Lectures and Panels feature keynote presentations and panel debates by world-renowned critics and authors. These events outline the future direction of the discipline, giving the participants firsthand access to vital debates in modern literary and cultural studies. Past sessions have hosted prominent names such as Herta Müller, Orhan Pamuk, Homi Bhabha, Gayatri Spivak, Yoko Tawada, and Dubravka Ugresic among others.
The IWL summer program travels through the affiliate institutions and returns to Harvard University every couple of years.
For further information on IWL –> see https://iwl.fas.harvard.edu/
How does it work?
As a formal institutional partner, our faculty receives certain entitlements for each annual cycle:
- Guaranteed Participant Slots: We are allocated a designated number of pre-approved slots for qualified applicants, bypassing the highly competitive global general pool.
- Subsidized Tuition Rates: All selected participants from our institution benefit from a reduced tuition rate.
- Eligibility for Mobility Grants: Institutional affiliation provides access to internal and external travel stipends specifically earmarked for IWL participants.
The Selection Process
To maintain a high standard of representation, the faculty implements a rigorous internal review process to award its allocated slots:
- Target Audience: The program is open to full-time faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and advanced Ph.D. candidates specialized in literature, cultural studies, translation, and adjacent humanities fields.
- Internal Application Requirements: Applicants must submit a comprehensive research abstract, a statement of intent outlining how the session will benefit their current projects, and an updated curriculum vitae.
- Evaluation Criteria: Selection is based on the scholarly merit of the proposal, its alignment with the themes of the upcoming IWL session, and the potential for the applicant to enrich our faculty upon return.
The application process for the current sessions will be announced via institutional channels. For further information, please contact our Faculty’s liaison to The Institute for World Literature:
Dr Burcu Alkan (English Language and Literature) - [email protected]