While on the road, I could not share about this, but such unbelievable days. Summary of the Situation As of late May 2025, the Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s authorization to enroll international students, both new and existing, under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)1257. This action affects more than 6,800 current … Read more
I began to observe a change of tone towards Israel in the last weeks. I asked Perplexity if this is really the case. This is how it answered: Recent Shifts in Western Media Coverage of Israel Summary of Change There has been a clear and noticeable shift in Western media coverage of Israel over the … Read more
Ukraine–Russia Peace Talks in Istanbul: No Ceasefire, But Largest Prisoner Exchange Agreed Summary of Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks in Istanbul (as of 18 May 2025) Key Developments First Direct Talks in Three Years: On May 16, 2025, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for the first high-level, direct peace talks since early 2022, shortly after … Read more
I haven’t closely followed his tenure, but mostly heard positive things about him. Then I saw he was labeled as “woke” in some cases. So I asked Perlexity to roundup the innovative aspects of his tenure. Pope Francis: Innovations and the “Woke” Label Before delving into the detailed analysis, it’s important to note that Pope … Read more
Whenever I see Ahmad’s face, I am about to cry, literally. Something in his face makes me feel enormous pity, a broken face. I hear that he is finally released. Who is Ahmad Manasra? Ahmad Manasra is a Palestinian who was arrested in 2015 at the age of 13 for his involvement in the Pisgat … Read more
Acting with impunity…. Watch: The Palestinian Red Crescent said this video was found on the phone of a paramedic who was killed Israel recently killed health workers in Gaza. On March 23, 2025, Israeli forces shot dead 15 emergency responders, including eight from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, in a convoy of ambulances near Rafah, … Read more
On April 2, 2025, Tufts University released a formal declaration in support of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student facing detention and deportation. The following is the full text of the statement, signed by Tufts President Sunil Kumar, as submitted to the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. University Declaration for Rümeysa Öztürk April 2, 2025 … Read more
President Trump never ceases to surprise. As American stocks plunged, here are some interesting issues: Strange and Interesting Facts About Trump’s Latest Tariff List On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced sweeping new “reciprocal tariffs” on imports from over 180 countries, declaring the day “Liberation Day.” While tariffs themselves aren’t unusual, this particular announcement … Read more
Rümeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish PhD student at Tufts University and a former Fulbright scholar, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Tuesday, March 26, 2025, near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts. She was on her way to an iftar dinner to break her Ramadan fast. The arrest was reportedly linked to … Read more
Today, China has the manufacturing capacity to supply half the world’s cars. And it has its eyes on the United States. While there are already Chinese-owned brands available in the states, including Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, no true Chinese brands have arrived in the U.S. as of yet. Insiders say it’s only a matter of … Read more
I am surprised to see how many American entities are giving in to rising authoritarianism. We sometimes talk about this nowadays. Even Turkish entities resisted longer. The whole federal system idea, the rule of law, etc. All should have more power to stay autonomous. Besides, a university like Columbia must have more than enough resources … Read more
Dear Bilge and her colleagues interviewed me, among other experts and academics, for the article: Şenyüz, B., Özgen, E., & Oğuzcan, A. U. (2025). Integrating GenAI into communication education for ‘generation prompt’: an exploration of academics’ perspectives on its benefits, challenges, and future prospects in Turkiye. Encontros Bibli: revista eletrônica de biblioteconomia e ciência da … Read more
I hoped that this was just speculation or propaganda, but unfortunately, many Syrian Alawites were massacred in the last couple of days. Here is a curation I made through Perplexity: Unprecedented Sectarian Violence Against Minorities in Syria: March 2025 Crisis Recent weeks have witnessed one of the deadliest outbreaks of sectarian violence in Syria since … Read more
For ages, I have written about the restrictive measures against academic freedom in Türkiye. It was nearly unthinkable to imagine this for the US setting, but here comes a period when American academics may be under more pressure than back home. Yesterday, I saw the news that Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian … Read more
In the last week, the U.S. government has taken several significant measures against the Zelensky government in Ukraine: Suspension of Military Aid: Following a heated Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the U.S. halted all military assistance to Ukraine. This decision affects hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons … Read more