Poli sci professor faced enviable choice of either Fulbright scholarship or Oxford fellowship. What he picked, and why.
Ahmet Kuru, an authority on the interplay between church and state, went with the option that he thought best opens his next chapter in his research on religion and populism.
For most college professors, landing either a faculty Fulbright award or a fellowship at Oxford University would make for an extraordinary year.
San Diego State University political science professor Ahmet Kuru landed both, and then had to choose.
Kuru was named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar to teach and conduct research in Indonesia in spring 2027. At the same time, he was offered a fellowship at Oxford University’s Centre for Islamic Studies to advance his latest book project, which examines the growing intersection of populism, religion and nationalism around the world.
Because the opportunities overlapped, he couldn’t pursue both.
In the end, Oxford won out. “It was very difficult for me, not only because of the prestige of Fulbright, but also because of Indonesia, which is so dynamic,” Kuru said.
Kuru withdrew from the Fulbright award. At Oxford, he’ll have greater flexibility for research, guest lectures and academic networking as he works to finish writing a book: “God and the People: The Religious-Populist Alliance and the Crisis of Liberal Democracy.”
The fellowship also offers an opportunity to immerse himself in British academic life. For the British edition of the book, Kuru plans to write a preface examining populism in the United Kingdom.
“Oxford will be an opportunity for me to tailor the book for British readers,” he said. “So the idea is to be part of their network, giving talks, attending talks and weekly seminars. I will be engaging with political science studies of populism in addition to having a major fellowship in Islamic studies.”
Kuru, who has been a professor at SDSU for two decades, has written two previous books, including “Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: A Global and Historical Comparison” (2019, Cambridge University Press).
Previous travel
The book has been translated into 15 languages and earned three awards, while drawing Kuru into public debates around the world about its central arguments.
In June, he traveled to Brazil, giving five talks in three cities to launch the Portuguese edition. The trip was supported by SDSU’s Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies in the College of Arts and Letters.
“San Diego State has supported my book tours, my translation projects,” said Kuru, who came to the U.S. from Turkey 27 years ago. “I am thankful to SDSU and particularly the deans for their support.”
Kuru’s examination of the relationship among Islam, authoritarianism and underdevelopment has sparked criticism in some circles, including among members of his own family.
“I didn’t create the question,” he said. “I am trying to answer it in a way that is friendly to Islamic religion and culture, respectful of tradition, but also gives hope to people and explains a way to the future.”
Kuru does not argue that Islam itself is responsible for authoritarianism or underdevelopment. Instead, his research examines the relationships among four spheres of society — political, religious, economic and academic — and argues that a degree of autonomy among them is important to fostering dynamic and equitable societies.
Kuru points to the Muslim world between the eighth and 12th centuries as an example, arguing that greater independence among religious, political, intellectual and economic classes helped foster a period of extraordinary intellectual and economic development. Over subsequent centuries, he argues, closer alliances between religious and political authorities contributed to authoritarianism while marginalizing economic and intellectual productivity.
“So today my call to Muslim societies is not only to separate religion and politics but also religion, politics, economy and academia to have a renaissance,” Kuru said.
His latest project expands that line of inquiry beyond Muslim-majority societies.
“God and the People” examines the U.S., France, Turkey, Israel, India and Russia, exploring how populist leaders draw on religion and nationalism to build political support and consolidate power.
His previous books were written primarily for academic audiences. With his latest project, he wants to reach more readers. That ambition helped tip the balance toward Oxford. After two books written largely for fellow scholars, Kuru hopes Oxford will help him write one for everyone else.
“I wanted my populism book to be popular,” he said. “They call it a trade book that someone can buy at the airport and read on the beach. I’m hoping that by using more accessible, jargon-free language that anyone can read, the populism book will reach a broader audience.”
