A Field Trip to the Women’s Library and Information Center

A Field Trip to the Women’s Library and Information Center

On Wednesday, March 11, the Department of English Translation and Interpreting at Üsküdar University organized an insightful field trip to the Women’s Library and Information Center Foundation in Balat. The visit brought together a diverse group of students from the Departments of English Translation and Interpreting, Psychology, and the English Preparatory Program, fostering an interdisciplinary dialogue on cultural preservation.

Led by Prof. Dr. Feride Zeynep (Director of ÜSÇÖZÜM and Faculty Member of English Translation and Interpreting), Asst. Prof. Melda Dinçel Enginsu, and Aliye Rabia Sönmez (Library and Documentation Specialist), the delegation explored the library’s extensive archives. In honor of International Women’s Day, the discussions centered on the vital role of women’s writing in shaping both national and global heritage.

The program specifically addressed the technical sensitivities of librarianship and the preservation of rare manuscripts, while evaluating future academic and cultural collaborations within the library’s versatile institutional framework. As representatives of the social sciences, the participants emphasized the necessity of creating a nexus where literature, art, and scientific inquiry intersect with public engagement. The visit concluded with a shared vision: that academic production must directly communicate with society to ensure inclusive and sustainable cultural development. By moving beyond classroom boundaries, this experience provided students with a firsthand look at how intellectual labor translates into societal progress.