International Academic Projects
Since its inception, the Alevi Encyclopedia has positioned itself not merely as a digital knowledge platform but as an open research network for international academic collaboration. Through joint initiatives developed with universities, research institutes, museums, and cultural institutions across different countries, the Alevi Encyclopedia aims to enhance the visibility and circulation of scholarly knowledge on the belief systems, historical continuities, cultural practices, and social representations of Alevism.
Anchored in the principles of open access, multilingualism, and interdisciplinarity, the project seeks to establish a lasting knowledge infrastructure that strengthens the dialogue between the global academic community and the Alevi cultural heritage.
The “International Academic Projects” section brings together collaborative research, publications, academic partnerships, exhibitions, symposia, and fieldwork developed within these frameworks. It aims to showcase the Alevi Encyclopedia’s ongoing collaborations within global networks of academic production and to provide a foundation for future interdisciplinary research initiatives.
Austrian Academy of Science
Alevi Encyclopedia – VLACH Partnership
The Alevi Encyclopedia and the Commission Vanishing Languages and Cultural Heritage (VLACH) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences have established a partnership based on shared academic interests and ethical commitments to cultural preservation. Both initiatives converge on a common vision: documenting, analysing, and sustaining linguistic and cultural diversity through open, collaborative, and community-oriented research.
Alevism represents a vast cultural heritage that extends across multiple regions and encompasses diverse linguistic, historical, and traditional backgrounds. Among these are Alevi communities speaking endangered languages such as Kırmancki (Zazaki) of the Dersim region (Turkey), which is listed by UNESCO as a vulnerable language. In this regard, the objectives and methodological approaches of the Alevi Encyclopedia and VLACH closely align — both seek to protect and revitalize intangible cultural and linguistic heritage through innovative, interdisciplinary, and accessible platforms.
This collaboration foresees a continuous exchange of knowledge, expertise, and materials, and aims to develop joint research and documentation projects. In particular, the Alevi Encyclopedia’s expanding digital video archive — for instance, the section “From Religious Leaders” — is envisioned as part of a shared framework that reflects the living oral traditions, memory, and languages of Alevi communities within the broader goals of cultural diversity and heritage preservation embraced by VLACH.
