Join us for a workshop seminar on "Global Approaches to Multilingual Digital Humanities and Data Practices" on November 14th, from 12:00 to 1:15 pm, featuring Fatma Öncel, Assistant Professor of History and Sociology in Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. This talk will delve into how digital tools are being adapted for languages like Ottoman Turkish and applied to diverse data sources, from historical archives to contemporary data, enhancing both traditional and digital literacy in the classroom. We’ll also discuss the unique challenges and opportunities presented by working with non-English languages, managing cross-disciplinary research teams, and the evolving role of DH within Turkish universities as they navigate changing priorities and an emphasis on public engagement. RSVP here to reserve lunch or for the Zoom link.

This workshop is a part of the "Global Approaches to Multilingual Data Practices and Digital Humanities" sponsored by the Global Research Workshops by Stanford Global Studies.

Workshop Abstract

This talk will explore the integration of Digital Humanities (DH) into academic teaching and research in Turkey, with a focus on multilingual and interdisciplinary approaches. It will highlight how digital tools are adapted for non-English languages like Ottoman Turkish, as well as for both Ottoman archives and contemporary local data sources in Turkey, and how they are applied in the classroom to enhance both traditional and digital skills. The discussion will also address the challenges and opportunities of working with non-English data and managing research teams from diverse academic and linguistic backgrounds. Finally, the talk will reflect on the institutionalization of DH in Turkish universities, the shifting priorities in higher education, and the role of DH in promoting public benefit amidst these changes.

About the Speaker

Fatma Öncel works on Ottoman social and economic history. She is a faculty member at Bahçeşehir University and an affiliated researcher at the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA) at Stanford University. She currently teaches in the Ottoman History Master's Program at Bahçeşehir University.  Dr. Öncel conducts research in rural history, land question, the Balkans, and digital humanities. She examines the effects of tax, labor, and property institutions on Ottoman political and economic regimes. Furthermore, she approaches Ottoman archive sources in the context of digital data epistemology and data ethics.