Mobility in Switzerland and Freiburg i. Breisgau

Courses at the Swiss Islamic Studies Institutes(Bern, Zurich) and the Oriental Seminar in Freiburg i. Breisgau can generally be credited for the degree subject Middle Eastern Studies in Basel. However, one of the two assistants at the seminar should be contacted before the course begins in order to clarify questions about module affiliation and creditability. In principle, courses at other universities cannot be taken, which is why a confirmation must be obtained during the course. The confirmation together with a completed recognition form must be submitted to the Student Administration Office for review, whereupon the credit points can be awarded. Check here for more information  by the Faculty of Humanities and social sciences.

In addition to attending individual courses, the Swiss mobility program / Swiss Mobility gives you the opportunity to study at another Swiss university for one or two semesters without any major administrative effort. You remain matriculated at your home university, where you also pay the tuition fees. You do not pay tuition fees at the host university.

Mobility within the framework of EUCOR

The University of Basel offers the possibility to students to attend courses at seven universities in the Upper Rhine region as part of the EUCOR program. EUCOR is the cross-border confederation of the Upper Rhine universities in Basel, Freiburg, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Mulhouse. With the EUCOR student IDs, you can attend courses at these universities and use libraries and other facilities. If you regularly attend courses at an EUCOR university during the semester, you can find out about partial reimbursement of travel costs here.

Mobility within the framework of the Swiss European Mobility Program (SEMP)

Since Switzerland ceased to be part of the EU education program Erasmus+ in 2014, the Swiss European Mobility Program (SEMP) has provided the replacement framework for exchange programs between Switzerland and other European countries.

In this context, the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) in Basel offers the offshoot of a Europe-wide student organization, founded to support and develop student exchanges. The aim of the ESN is the social and personal integration of exchange students in order to make their stay as interesting and problem-free as possible. To this end, it organizes welcome parties and all kinds of events throughout the year.

The Seminar for Middle Eastern Studies has concluded the following agreements within the framework of SEMP:

Within the Swiss-European Mobility Program there is a possibility for BA, MA, and PhD students (as well as faculty members) of Near & Middle Eastern Studies to go abroad to Istanbul for Arab Studies. Our cooperation partner is Arab Language and Literature at the Department of Oriental Languages and Literatures at the Istanbul University.

Although its heritage goes back to the religious seminary (medrese) founded in 1453 after the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed II, the Istanbul University became an institution of modern higher education (darülfünûn= house of sciences) in 1846. The darülfünûn (renamed to İstanbul Üniversitesi in 1933) went through various reforms during the 19th and 20th centuries. Its historical buildings represent both the imperial and republican heritage of Istanbul University.

The instruction and study of Arabic belongs to university’s oldest disciplines, which was always part of the traditional curriculum of Islamic sciences. In early 20th century Arabic also established itself as a classic and modern philology at the Faculty of Humanities. During the Nazi era, many German-speaking Orientalists went into exile in Turkey and became professors at Turkish universities. One of them, Prof. Dr. Helmut Ritter, built up the Department of the Oriental Languages and Literatures after the European model of Oriental studies (şarkiyat), hence united European-Orientalist methodology of critical-historical philology with an “Oriental” but “non-Orientalist” student body resulting in noteworthy academic studies on the rich corpus of Arab manuscripts of Istanbul. Today, Arab Language and Literature at Istanbul University is the largest institute of Arab Studies in Turkey, training not only future academics of Arab literature and linguistics, but also teachers and translators of Arabic. Along Turkish scholars, many native-speaking scholars are among the faculty members. The growing number of Syrian refugees in Istanbul also slowly started to change the diversity of students in Arab Studies, enabling cross-cultural experiences at the intersection of Turkish and Arab social spaces. All Turkish undergraduate students who do not speak or write Arabic at the beginning of their studies go through a preparatory one-year intensive course (hazırlık) at the University of Istanbul. Thus, the level of these BA students is slightly higher than the level of their “classmates” in Near and Middle Eastern Studies in Basel or other European universities. Nevertheless, there are courses of Arabic language, dialects, literature, and linguistic at all levels.

Studying Arab Studies in Istanbul is a unique chance to enhance language skills not only in Arabic, but also in Turkish as a language of instruction and daily-life. Since Arabic and Turkish are the two mandatory languages thought in BA Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Basel, this enables BA students to go abroad for one or two semesters without loosing track in their language instruction. And it is a chance to advance Arabic and Turkish language skills at once. Besides the curriculum of Arab Studies, exchange students are encouraged to attend other courses from different disciplines, from political science to theology.

Placed in the striking atmosphere of the imperial “old town” of Istanbul, the Istanbul University is the social and cultural artery of the Turkish youth and offers a lifetime experience.

BA Students are advised to go to Istanbul not before their 4th semester. MA students need intermediate to advance skills in Arabic and intermediate skills in Turkish. Early preparation and registration is mandatory. Please contact Alexander Balistreri (alexander.balistreri@clutterunibas.ch) for further information and registration.

The Atatürk Institute for Modern Turkish History, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul

The Atatürk Institute for Modern Turkish History is a central research institute of the renowned Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. Every year, two students from Basel - Masters or PhD students - can take part in the exchange as part of a SEMP agreement.

The history of Boğaziçi University dates back to the 19th century when it was founded in 1863 as the private Robert College. In 1971, it became Boğaziçi University when private higher education institutions were no longer legally possible.

The Atatürk Institute of Modern Turkish History has its focal areas in research and teaching about the late Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. Consequently, regions such as the Balkans, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia are also taken into account. The institute has its own library and archives.

The institute is very well networked internationally and offers regular academic events such as workshops and conferences. The language of instruction is English. Turkish courses can be attended at the Department of Turkish Literature and Language.

Boğaziçi University is regularly among the top-ranked higher education institutions in international rankings. The university campus is very centrally located, directly on the Bosporus.

A visit to the university is highly recommended. It is a unique opportunity to gain an insight into a Turkish university and get to know Istanbul.

Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS), University of Marburg

Since its foundation in 2006, the interdisciplinary Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS) at the Philipps University of Marburg has been one of the first area studies centers on the Middle East in Germany. Every year, a total of four students from Basel - two BA and two MA - can take part in the exchange within the framework of a SEMP agreement.

The CNMS passes seven subject areas: Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Arabic Studies, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, Politics of the Near and Middle East, Semitic Studies and Economics of the Near and Middle East. Several BA and MA degree programs are offered with different focal areas depending on the subject area. Language courses in Arabic, Turkish and Persian are also available.

The CNMS offers an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into the landscape of German Middle East research. The center has a number of interdisciplinary research projects, including the Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb, Transottomanica, Mediating in the Digital Age, and the open access journal Middle East - Topics & Arguments (META).

Department of History, Central European University (CEU), Budapest

The Central European University (CEU) is a highly renowned research institution in Budapest and Vienna. Founded in 1991, its focal areas are research and teaching in the humanities and social sciences.

Every year, two MA students of Near and Middle Eastern Studies can take part in an exchange with the Department of History as part of a SEMP agreement.

The university is based on the educational backgrounds of American universities. The language of instruction is English. It is also the only English-language university in Europe that is accredited in both Europe and the USA.

The Department of History offers four MA degree programs: Comparative History, Comparative History: From 1500 to the Present Time, History of the Public Sphere, European Master in Women's and Gender History.

In addition, the department mandates four research centers: Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, Center for Religious Studies, Jewish Studies Program and Pasts, Inc. Center for Historical Studies. The Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies in particular focuses on the humanities history of the Eastern Mediterranean, including subjects ranging from philosophy in the Ottoman Empire to modern Turkish literature.

A semester at CEU is therefore a unique opportunity to get to know American traditions in research and teaching on the Middle East in Europe.

Mobility within the framework of international cooperation

In addition to the exchange opportunities within the Erasmus program, there is also the option of spending exchange semesters at international partner universities. These agreements do not automatically include scholarships, but are based on self-financing. However, no tuition fees are charged at the partner university. The University of Basel offers scholarships for support.

University of Tel Aviv, The Department of Middle Eastern and African History

With over 30,000 students, the University of Tel Aviv is the largest university in Israel and is one of the world's best research institutions. The Department of Middle Eastern and African History and the affiliated Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies form the heart of Israeli Middle East research. The department has two complementary focal areas of research and teaching. On the one hand, historical research into the Ottoman Empire and the analysis of the modern Middle East from a social science perspective. This includes the Arab world, Turkey and Central Asia. The studies are divided into a BA and MA in Middle Eastern Studies, which means that BA and MA students from Basel can participate in the exchange.
In addition to Arabic, students can also attend courses in Ottoman, Turkish and Persian. Hebrew courses can also be booked outside the department.

The Moshe Dayan Center is also home to one of the largest historical archives in Israel.
Finally, the multicultural and Mediterranean Tel Aviv is also the social, artistic and economics center of the country.

Adjacent to Tel Aviv is Jaffa, which is now the oldest part of the city and has an Arab character. A stay in Tel Aviv is therefore a unique opportunity to get to know international Middle Eastern research at the highest level and to experience an atmosphere of cultural and linguistic diversity.

For further information on the exchange, please do not hesitate to contact Alexander Balistreri, Head of the Department of Middle Eastern Studies.