Osman Balkan
Political scientist | Author | Educator
About
I am Director of Curriculum, Experiential Learning, and Innovation at the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at The Wharton School and Adjunct Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania.I study how migration shapes political life. My teaching complements this work through immersive international experiences exploring the intersections of business, public policy,and economic transformation.
Research
My work examines how migration shapes citizenship, belonging, and democratic life. Through comparative ethnographic research, I study how states and societies negotiate membership across borders.
In Dying Abroad (Cambridge University Press, 2023), I trace the political afterlives of migration through the journeys of the dead. Drawing on fieldwork in Berlin and Istanbul-- where I worked as an undertaker-- the book shows how migrants' end-of-life dilemmas are entwined with enduring struggles over political membership and national identity in Europe.
Awards
Winner, Charles Taylor Book Award (American Political Science Association)
Winner, ENMISA Distinguished Book Award (International Studies Association)
Winner, Yale Ferguson Award (International Studies Association)
Honorable Mention, Alixa Naff Prize in Migration Studies
Current Work
My current book project examines how societies commemorate and come to terms with political violence and terrorism. Through comparative research in Europe and the United States, it investigates how acts of remembrance give shape to collective memory and political futures.
For a list of publications, please consult my C.V.
Teaching & Global Programs
I believe that students learn best when they connect ideas with experience. My courses combine rigorous academic inquiry with immersive international learning, bringing students into conversation with policymakers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and civil society organizations around the world.
GLOBAL IMMERSION PROGRAMS
Over the years, I've developed an extensive international portfolio, designing and teaching courses for undergraduate, MBA, and Ph.D. students at the Wharton School and University of Pennsylvania. Experiential learning is not about travel for its own sake. It is about placing students in direct conversation with the institutions, organizations, and communities shaping contemporary political and economic life. By connecting classroom concepts with real-world experience, students develop a deeper understanding of global challenges and the people working to address them. Recent classes and destinations include:
Contact
Osman Balkan
Huntsman Program in International Studies & Business
The Wharton School | University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104[email protected]