As part of the “Learn & Connect: 5:40 Lecture Series,” we will host a special session on December 18, International Migrants Day, focusing on migration through Türkiye’s historical and social experience. In this session, Dr. Besim Can Zırh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at METU Faculty of Arts and Sciences, will be with us with his presentation titled “Türkiye: A Country between Gurbet (Unhomely-) and Sıla (Homely-Place) in the Age of Migration.”
At the “Learn” part of the session will approach migration not merely as a matter of statistics or policy, but as a phenomenon with deep cultural, social, and human dimensions. Türkiye’s evolving role within regional and global migration dynamics, as well as the layered meanings of gurbet (unhomely place) and sıla (homely place), will be discussed from a sociological perspective.
Following the lecture, the “Connect” part of the event will take place in the main foyer, featuring a musical performance by ODTÜ Trio, accompanied by a new year cocktail reception.
