Allegations of a tailor-made position for Ali Erbaş: Job posting requirements draw attention
A job posting published by Istanbul 29 May University for a professor in the field of History of Religions has reignited debates in academia over "tailor-made positions." It is alleged that the criteria included in the posting match the academic background of former President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş, whose term ended on September 18, exactly.
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Istanbul 29 May University, founded by the Religious Affairs Foundation, has published a job posting that is set to revive the "custom-tailored position" debate that has long been on the agenda in academic circles. The university announced that it would hire a faculty member with the title of professor to be employed in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Faculty of Theology.
The posting stated that the candidate must hold an associate professorship in the field of History of Religions and have conducted scientific studies in this area. Additionally, a requirement for teaching experience was also included.
REQUIREMENTS IN THE POSTING MATCH ERBAŞ
According to a report by Mustafa Bildircin from BirGün, the posting in question brought to mind Ali Erbaş, who recently left his post as the President of Religious Affairs. When Erbaş's academic resume is examined, it is seen that he meets all the conditions specified in the university's posting.
According to Erbaş's resume, he was appointed as an assistant professor to the Department of History of Religions at Sakarya University Faculty of Theology in 1993. He subsequently conducted academic studies in France for a period. Returning to Turkey at the beginning of the 1997-1998 academic year, Erbaş received the title of associate professor in November 1998 and professor in January 2004.
Between 1993 and 2006, he served as the Head of the Department of History of Religions and the Head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
It has been alleged that Erbaş, whose term ended on September 18, will receive a pension of over 100,000 TL after retiring. This claim has further fueled the "custom-tailored position" debate regarding the Istanbul 29 May University posting.
The fact that the criteria in the posting published by the university administration match Erbaş's academic and administrative background exactly has led to public assessments that the position in question was designed for a specific individual.
