Ottoman Science and Technology Unbound: Emerging Frameworks and Global Dialogues

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This conference aims to prompt a conversation on new methodologies and perspectives for studying science and technology within the Ottoman world and beyond. While traditional historiography has long treated science and technology as inherently Western enterprises, a rich and growing body of localized studies now illuminates the history of science and technology across diverse regions, including Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Pacific, revealing varied ways of making and knowing. How should we situate the Ottoman Empire within this narrative? Does examining the history of science and technology in the Ottoman context mirror approaches used in other settings, or does it reveal unique characteristics and dynamics that call for distinct theoretical frameworks, analytical categories, or even specialized terminology? How can we position the Ottoman case as more than a localized study? In what ways does Ottoman history inform and engage with larger historiographical trends and broader global movements in science and technology studies? This conference seeks to foster collective reflection on how studying science and technology in the Ottoman world offers insights that extend beyond the bounds of Ottoman studies and contribute to the “big picture.”

Event Information:
Free and open to the public; registration required. Contact sakipsabancicenter@columbia.edu for questions.

Hosted by the Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies and co-sponsored by the Center for Science and Society at Columbia University.