The Contributions of German migr Scholars to Turkey's Higher Education Reform in the First Half of the 20th Century

Abstract

Why were German migr scholars present in the emerging Turkish Republic and how did they influence its development, given the considerable presence of German scholars in exile during the modernization and reform process at the beginning of the Turkish statehood? This paper seeks to analyze the historical roots of this by discussing the goals and dilemmas of higher education reform in the early years of the Turkish state, as well as the specific work and progress of German migr scholars in Turkey. It is clear from the analysis that the modernization reforms, represented by the higher education reforms, were the initiative of the emerging Turkish Republic to escape from backwardness and rise as a nation, and that the problem of the lack of higher education talent encountered in the reforms was solved by the forced exile of many German scholars, who were looking for a living. The rapid establishment of higher education institutions, the completion of the reform of higher education and the acceleration of the modernization process in Turkey.