Summer 2013 in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt and Istanbul, Turkey
Instructor: Lyn Boyd-Judson
Dates: May 22 - June 19, 2013

Twelve (12) prep days at USC, seven (7) days in Cairo, overnight train to Alexandria, two (2) days in Alexandria, five (5) days in Istanbul.

Costs:

Airfare: $1800-$2800 (RT transportation to Cairo and from Istanbul)
Souveniers and Miscellaneous: $40-$100
Meals not covered by program tuition: $300

Research Project:  Religion and Democracy in Egypt and Turkey

A comparative case study of the dynamics of religion and democracy in Egypt and Turkey.

The Egyptian revolution was not religious, it was strongly secular, yet it ultimately brought political Islam into elected power. This is a disturbing development for many who study global democratization. Will the democratically-elected Muslim Brotherhood bulldoze the secular architecture of the revolution? Will there be a new paradigm for democracy in a Muslim nation? Turkey has long been lauded as a successful model of a strong secular democracy in an overwhelmingly Muslim nation. How has it faced challenges of political Islam, free speech, civil rights, women?s rights, and cultural integrity? Is Turkey unique in geography and culture when compared to other Muslim nations, or is it a model for others to follow? Conversely, is Egypt forging a hybrid path of religion and democracy startlingly different from Turkey's secular politics that could work?.

Outcome:

Research article published on-line by the USC Levan Institute for Humanities and Ethnics and the Carnegie Counctil for Ethics in International Affairs Global Scholars project.

For more information on this course, please contact Dr. Lyn Boyd-Judson at lynboyd@usc.edu.