Online talk for Istanbul

I am surprised. That university is known as an ultra islamicist institution with a very weak intellectual presence. What business can an academic person like you have there? I'd avoid that place like plague..

Thirty years ago, Islamists in Turkey were predominantly uneducated peasants or slum dwellers with little formal education. When the Islamist AKP came to power, they sought to change this dynamic. They established hundreds of new universities, granting doctorates and professorships to their ultra-religious voter base with minimal academic rigor or cost. So, today's Turkey is chock full of illiterates who carry Dr. or Prof.In front of their name. Ibn Khaldun is one such university. 

 

"...but the academic colleague who invited me and is moderating the talk is a serious scholar.."  yes they have some great names including  Suraiya Faroqhi whom I respect immensely.. 
Also, when publishing advertisement photographs for their university, they make a deliberate effort to sprinkle a few secular female students among the many others who wear scarves or veils.

Yes, I know that one should keep an open mind when doing social sciences. Keeping an open mind is easy when reading about egyptian-hittite wars. Not so easy when events transpire near to oneself in space and time. Especially if one is seeing the tiny little details which will be filtered out and will never enter into history books.