Howard Eissenstat

Dr. Howard Eissenstat holds the Laurentian Associate Professor of History position and serves as Chair of the History Department at St. Lawrence University. He is affiliated with the Stockholm University Institute of Turkish Studies (SUITS). Eissenstat specializes in modern Middle East history, focusing on Turkish nationalism, religious identity, and state policy. He earned his PhD in 2007 from UCLA and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Brandeis University’s Crown Center for Middle East Studies.

Research Interests: Eissenstat’s work examines Turkey’s political evolution under the AKP, including authoritarianism, minority rights, and rule-of-law challenges. His analysis spans topics like Erdoğan’s leadership, Kurdish issues, and Turkish foreign policy in the Eastern Mediterranean. He frequently engages with policymakers through testimony to U.S. and Canadian legislative bodies.

Public Engagement: As a Turkey Country Specialist for Amnesty International (2006–2017) and Senior Non-Resident Fellow at Project on Middle East Democracy (2017–2020), he advises governments and militaries. His op-eds appear in Foreign Affairs, Washington Post, and Reuters, with frequent media appearances on NPR, BBC, and CNN.

Key Contributions: His scholarship bridges historical analysis (e.g., Armenian Genocide studies) and contemporary policy debates, offering critical perspectives on Turkey’s domestic and geopolitical challenges.