:: Shingetsu Institute ::

Newsletter No. 756
Information-Announcement
September 29, 2007

SELCUK ESENBEL RECEIVES AWARDS FROM THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT

Selcuk Esenbel, a key scholar in the field of Japanese-Islamic relations based at Bogazici University, is receiving two awards from the Japanese government. Esenbel, it will be remembered, is also the editor-in-chief of our Shingetsu Electronic Journal of Japanese-Islamic Relations (SEJJIR). The two awards that she is receiving are as follows.

Foreign Minister’s Award

The Foreign Minister’s award was presented to Dr. Esenbel for “helping promote academic intellectual relations between Japan and Turkey.” We don’t have too many details about this award on hand, but it can be regarded as an important step that such an award be given to a scholar based in a Muslim country. Also, Dr. Esenbel is the first among we specialists on Japanese-Islamic relations to be so honored.

The Japan Foundation Special Prize for Japanese Studies

We have more information about the Japan Foundation prize, which will be awarded on October 1st. Below is the official statement:

Ayse Selcuk Esenbel

Professor, Bosphorus University; President, Japanese Studies Association (Turkey)

For organizing Japan scholars in Turkey through her activities with the Japanese Studies Association, education of junior scholars, and contributions to academic and intellectual exchange between Turkey and Japan.

Ayse Selcuk Esenbel completed her undergraduate degree in History in the International Christian University (Japan) and George Washington University (USA). She received her master's degree from the Department of Japanese Language and Linguistics at Georgetown University (USA) in 1969 and a PhD in Japanese history from Columbia University (USA) in 1981. From 1982 to 1985, she was assistant professor at Bosphorus (Bogazici) University and became full professor in 1997, serving as Chair of the Department of History at Bosphorus University between 1994 and 2003. She has not only helped educate many junior scholars in her country but has also been actively promoting exchange between Turkey and Japan.

Esenbel helped establish the Japanese Studies Association in 1993 and consolidated the organization as a Board Member. She became its third president in 2002 and has since contributed to academic and intellectual exchange between the two countries through the organization and hosting of various conferences and lectures.

She contributed to the establishment of a Japanese language department at Ankara University in 1986 and a Japanese language teaching program at Bosphorus University in 1988, and the Japanese Studies Certificate in 2002. Her major publications in English include Even the Gods Rebel: The Peasants of Takaino and the 1871 Nakano Uprising in Japan and The Rising Sun and the Turkish Crescent (co-authored). Her articles in Japanese are published in such books as Kindai Nihon to Toruko Sekai and Ibunka Rikai no Shiza: Sekai kara Mita Nihon, Nihon kara Mita Sekai. Her articles in English are published in journals such as the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (UK), and The American Historical Review (USA).

On behalf of myself and other members of the Shingetsu Institute, we congratulate Dr. Esenbel on the recognition that she has received from the Foreign Ministry and the Japan Foundation!