Ismail Noyan
PhD Candidate
MA, Sabanci University, 2018
MSc, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2016
BA, Bilkent University, 2015
Supervisor: Thomas Kuehn
Academia Page:
Personal Website:
91ܽ
I am a historian of the late Ottoman Empire, focusing specifically on the entangled intellectual histories of the 19th century that extend beyond the so-called Ottoman center, and cover the wider Ottoman territories and global Islamic networks. I was educated at Bilkent and Sabancı Universities in Turkey and the London School of Economics (LSE) in the UK. Currently, I am a sixth-year PhD candidate at 91ܽ, Canada, working towards completing my dissertation.
I am based in Burnaby, BC, Canada, and I do my best to seize opportunities to enjoy what this amazing geography offers, including hiking, camping, cycling, boating, and off-roading. I am also a coffee enthusiast—not a caffeine addict (I can function without my first sip in the morning)—but I enjoy trying different coffee beans and brewing techniques. I have a humble collection of coffee equipment, which is, willy-nilly, stashed in my hometown, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, next to my mother’s coffee cups and dishes that she brought as part of her dowry.
Research
In my dissertation entitled as “Ahmed Cevdet Pasha: A Connected History of a Late Ottoman Governor, Jurist, and Intellectual [1823-1895],” I use Ahmet Cevdet Pasha as a tour guide to explore the experiences with modernity across and beyond the Ottoman Empire. I aim to move beyond national historiographies that inadequately account for global contexts, as well as Eurocentric and diffusionist approaches that treat the European experience as the standard for comparison in understanding 19th-century Ottoman modernity. .
Teaching
I work as a sessional/part-time instructor at various institutions. I have designed and taught a range of courses, including 400-level seminar courses on the Middle East at SFU, European and global history courses at KPU, and a wide range of social science electives at other colleges. Additionally, I worked as a teaching assistant for six semesters at Sabancı University and eight semesters at SFU, covering diverse topics such as Middle Eastern, European, Canadian, and global history.
Scholarly Activities
Conference Papers
- The 11th Western Ottomanists’ Workshop in California State University, Sacramento April 10-11, 2020 (postponed due to Covid-19)
“Rifa‘a Rafi al-Tahtawi’s Travel to Paris and His Ideas’ Travel to İstanbul” - The 12th Annual Middle East and Islamic Studies Consortium of British Columbia Student Conference, University of Victoria, Victoria April 4, 2020 (postponed due to Covid-19)
“Towards an Entangled Intellectual History of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th Century” - The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) European Summer School in Bosnia 29 July- 8 August, 2019
“Ahmet Cevdet Pasha’s notes on Bosnia: Portraying the Empire as a decent place for Muslims and non-Muslims” - Ibn Haldun University, Graduate Conference, İstanbul May 2019
“Kadim: An Ambigious Concept for Change but Working Legitimization Tool” - Princeton University, Near Eastern Studies, March 2019
“Availability of a Conservative Approach to Modernity? Mecelle Case in the Late Ottoman Empire,” - European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference in Hamburg 2018
“The Three Dimensions For Understanding the Conservative Attitude Toward Change: nature of change, nature of challenge and nature of current constraints”
Dissertations
- Comparative Politics (MSc) dissertation at London School of Economics (LSE)
“Confederalism As An Appetiser: A Genuine Change From Socialist Kurdistan To Confederalism? An Intrinsic Case Study on Ideology and Pragmatism in Changing PKK Goals Since Its Foundation” - History (MA) in Sabancı University
Ahmet Cevdet Pasha and Change: A Three-Tiered Approach
Book Review
- "Democracy, Identity, and Foreign Policy in Turkey: Hegemony Through Transformation by Fuat Keyman." Review of International Law & Politics, January 2015.
Awards
91ܽ
- Graduate Fellowships (2019-2024)
- Douglas Cole Memorial Graduate Entrance Scholarship in Cultural History
- Travel and Minor Research Award
- Muslim Studies Graduate Student Travel Award
- Cook Conference Scholarship
- William & Jane Saywell Graduate Scholarship
Sabancı University, Full Scholarship, 2016-2018
Jean Monnet Scholarship of European Union, 2015-2016
Bilkent University, Full Scholarship, 2010-2015
Teaching Assistantships
91ܽ 2019-2021
- Hist 225 20th Century Europe (Prof. Ilya Vinkovetsky) 2021 Spring
- Hist 151 The Modern Middle East (Prof. Paul Sedra) 2020 Fall
- Hist 151 The Modern Middle East (Prof. Thomas Kuehn) 2019 Spring
- Hist 151 The Modern Middle East (Prof. Paul Sedra) 2019 Fall
Sabancı University 2016-2018
- Social and Political Science 101 in Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Summer 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, and Summer 2018