Prof. John Haldon at MSKÜ: Two Talks on Climate & History (19–20 November 2025)
Prof. John Haldon, Director of the Climate Change and History Research Initiative (CCHRI) at Princeton University, is a leading historian of the medieval Eastern Roman (Byzantine) world. His work spans not only Byzantine history but also pre-modern state systems and institutions across Western Eurasia, with a special focus on how environmental stress shaped social resilience. Through a prolific body of books and articles, he has become widely recognized across historical subfields. Prof. Haldon is also deeply committed to mentoring students and early-career scholars, and he has been a vocal advocate for the ethical and social responsibilities of academia. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and several European academies, and serves in various international scholarly networks.
1) Wednesday, 19 November 2025 – 15:00
Venue: MSKÜ Atatürk Cultural Center, Hall B (Science & Art House or AKM Hall B depending on weather)
Title: Can History Help Policy?
Subtitle: Past societal adaptation to climate challenges and what that means for policy today
The talk explores what policy insights can be drawn from how past societies coped with climate-related pressures.
2) Thursday, 20 November 2025 – 14:00
Venue: MSKÜ Atatürk Cultural Center, Hall B
Title: Mixing Methods: How Climate Data Meets Historical Archives—Inside the historian’s ‘kitchen’
Subtitle: Blending climate proxies with texts and archaeology
This talk examines the strengths and limits of integrating climate proxy data with textual and archaeological evidence through concrete case studies.
Language: English. Simultaneous interpretation into Turkish will be provided (headsets available).
Admission: Free and open to all.
Hosts: MSKÜ Sustainable Green Campus Coordinatorship & Science Communication Office