By Riley Blankenship

Dr. Altan Atamer has joined Greensboro College’s political science department, following the retirement of longtime faculty member Dr. Victor Archibong. A political theorist with a background that stretches across multiple continents, Atamer is shaping his classes to reflect a more global perspective on politics.

The Collegian had the opportunity to speak with Atamer regarding his academic journey, his teaching goals as well as the ways he hopes to connect Greensboro College students to more global conversations.

When asked what drew him to Greensboro College in particular and how the transition has been stepping into the role, Atamer noted his great appreciation for the small college atmosphere. His own undergraduate experience at a small university showed him the value of close mentorship and one-on-one instructions, something he hopes to bring into his teaching at Greensboro.

“From my own experience, I was able to form close relations with my professors,” he stated. “I did not know what I wanted to do really when I started college and I feel my professors lit a fire inside of me and without them I definitely would not have pursued my Ph.D., and that is a relationship you do not really get at a big university.”

Atamer’s academic journey began internationally. Born in Turkey, he spent over a decade in Switzerland before moving to the United States for high school in Massachusetts. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in political science at the University of Connecticut, where his research explored identity, citizenship and the influence of “the West” in shaping political frameworks. His dissertation and published articles challenge standard interpretations of Kemalism, the founding ideology of modern Turkey, and how its connections to the West have often been framed in ways that legitimize exclusion and colonial narratives.

When asked what sparked his passion for political theory, Atamer pointed to how the field directly engages with critical questions of belonging, power and identity. He explained that political theory interrogates how societies define citizenship and exclusion, and how those definitions impact people’s lives in practical and often painful ways.

“I noticed, when taking political science courses as an undergraduate, the person who happened to have the most impact on me was also a political theorist and he kind of gave me a language to explore, analyze some of these issues with identity,” Atamer shared.

Unlike professor Archibong, whose primary focus was on U.S. law and politics, Atamer brings a global approach to the classroom. He believes comparative politics should move beyond a narrow focus on the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Instead, he plans to introduce students to post-colonial thinkers such as Edward Said, the most cited author in the social sciences, and Frantz Fanon, whose work addresses pressing issues like poverty, war and decolonization. Atamer noted his work rarely appears on undergraduate syllabi. That is something he would like to change.

“Often times many political science courses are structured with an emphasis on particular geographies. I was looking at the A.P. exams for the U.S. high schools to see how they teach comparative politics and just like many conventional political scientists, it is very focused on countries like the U.S., U.K. and France but it is not really focused on a global scale,” Atamer stated. “I believe, it is a good exercise, not just for people to know about other places, people and politics but to make students think critically.”

When asked how he sees Greensboro College students fitting into the global political conversation Atamer believes even though we at Greensboro College have a relatively small campus there is still a huge number of international students, this semester more than ever.

“I would imagine that developing a more coherent and rigorous program to discuss and analyze a lot of these issues would be appealing to those who have lived here in Greensboro or who are interested in global issues,” he stated.

Atamer noted Greensboro offers a great setting for these conversations. As the third-largest city in North Carolina, it is home to immigrant and refugee populations as well as a diverse international student cohort at the College. He views Greensboro’s history in the civil rights movement and its global connections as a foundation for building a truly international political science program.

In terms of some of his future goals here at Greensboro College, he is already working to support student clubs, build new courses and prepare his dissertation research for publication as a book. For him, teaching and research are deeply connected – each informs and strengthens the other.

“I would like to offer new courses and create a possible new curriculum that appeals to students in a way that exposes them to new topics that might have not been taught here at Greensboro College.”

Atamer also mentioned he has envisioned possibly publishing his dissertation as a book from his studies at the University of Connecticut.

When asked what advice he would leave with students about studying political science today, Atamer stressed the importance of critical thinking and open dialogue.

“I think people are drawn to controversy people are excited to debate issues and I think political science is one of the best fields for that,” he stated. He encourages students to embrace structured, respectful debate and to recognize how politics connects across every discipline. In his view, political science is not just about institutions or elections – it is about understanding the forces that shape societies worldwide.