International Summer School at the Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Research Foundation for the History of Sciences in Islam in cooperation with the University of Bremen

Place: Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Research Foundation for the History of Sciences in Islam, Istanbul, Rose Garden (Gülhane)

Contributors: Prof. Dr. Jan P. Hogendijk, Professor of History of Mathematics, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of Utrecht, Netherlands and Adjunct Professor, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, http://www.jphogendijk.nl/;
Prof. Dr. Ingrid Hehmeyer, Associate Professor of History of Science and Technology, Department of History, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, http://www.ryerson.ca/history/faculty/hehmeyeri.html;
Dr. Detlev Quintern, Director for Development and Training at the Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Research Foundation for the History of Science in Islam in Istanbul, Turkey and visiting lecturer at Bremen University (cultural studies), Germany; http://detlevquintern.wordpress.com/

The history of science constitutes itself as continuity in the dimensions of time and space. This can be analogized by a chain, the links of which are affiliated while encompassing the world. It holds true specifically for the so-called Old World, where knowledge had been handed down often along trade routes (e.g. Incense Road) from the centers of ancient civilizations (such as Iraq and Egypt) to Greece and Asia Minor, before being translated systematically, then assimilated and further unfolded during the Abbasid Caliphate in the first half of the 9th century CE. Baghdad, often closely connected with the House of Wisdom, became the scientific center. Here, the “experimental spirit” (George Sarton) paved the way for the foundation of modern sciences. The development of the sciences assumes a completely new character that can be considered the beginning of a period of great creativity (Fuat Sezgin).

The mass-production of paper and the revolution of the book as the carrier of the new knowledge triggered scientific exchange, in which Arabic became the common scientific language. From astronomy to zoology – the sciences and their practical applications flourished. From the 10th century in early scholastic times in Europe to the Renaissance and beyond, the translation and inculturation of Arabic-Islamic Sciences paved the way for the development of modern sciences in Europe.

A variety of peoples, cultures, beliefs and world views contributed to this prosperous period, in which the sciences flourished. Embedded in a culture of tolerance, the Islamic praise of knowledge was a pillar of the sciences’ boost. It was the 19th Century myth of the Renaissance which put forth an effort to disperse the contributions of Arabic-Islamic science out of the historic memory.

The Istanbul Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam owes its foundation (in 2008) to the longstanding, intense and ongoing research of Prof. Fuat Sezgin and the Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. It visualizes the development of Islamic sciences and its European inculturation. As the museum is equipped with numerous didactic applications, it is particularly suitable for the requirements of intercultural learning.

Format:
The program comprises of morning lectures, workshops and daily plenary sessions to draw together emerging themes. Excursions will take students to famous sites in Istanbul relevant to the themes of the Summer School (e.g. Sülemanyie Mosque, library etc). Participants will be expected to attend all the workshops, discussions and lectures. The working languages are English and/or German (depending on the students’ country of provenance).

ECTS-credits:
Upon successful completion of the Summer School, BA students will be awarded 3 credits (writing 3 pages of a response, reflecting the summer school), MA students 6 (writing a critical essay of 8 – 10 pages) credits [ECTS] by the University of Bremen. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System [ECTS] is a student-centered system based on the workload required to achieve the objectives of a program. ECTS’ aim is to facilitate the recognition of periods of study abroad and thus to facilitate student mobility.

Costs:
While participation in the program is free of charge, students are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses, as well as possible costs for health insurance, visa etc.

Applications:
We cordially invite submissions from students with interest in science
history, intercultural learning and cross-cultural dialogue. Applications should include the following:
• a letter of application, detailing your motivation for participation,
• a brief Curriculum Vitae, focusing on your academic background,
• a short description (half a page) of your academic interest in “Science History as Intercultural Learning”,
• Contact details of one academic referee.

Applications (in PDF-format) must be submitted by 29 June 2012 to:

cdq@uni-bremen.de

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Research Foundation for the History of Science in Islam.