Language researcher from Turkey Aylin Küntay appointed to the Prince Claus Chair

Language researcher from Turkey Aylin Küntay appointed to the Prince Claus Chair

Aylin Küntay, a language researcher from Turkey has been appointed to the ‘Prince Claus Chair in Development and Equity’ at Utrecht University. Küntay works in the area of ‘language and socio-cognitive development of young children’. She will hold this position for two years and will conduct research on language in collaboration with researchers at Utrecht University.

During her appointment, Prof. Aylin Küntay will work closely with Prof. Paul Leseman, Professor of Special Education, and coordinator of the Research Impulse area Educational and Learning Sciences, Prof. Gün Semin, Professor of Cognition in Social Context, and Prof. Henriette de Swart, Director of the Utrecht Institute of Linguistics.

Language acquisition
Küntay’s expertise will be a valuable contribution to language and communication development research at Utrecht University. Her research may for example shed new light on the position of Dutch children who grow up in bilingual families. She is expected to hold her inaugural lecture in spring 2013 at the Academy Building (Academiegebouw)in Utrecht.

Different perspectives
Aylin Küntay is Professor at the Department of Psychology, Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey. She conducts research on Language and Communication Development of Infants and Preschool Children. This expertise is closely connected to the research conducted in the Utrecht focal areas of Neuroscience & Cognition, Co-ordinating Societal Change and the research impulse programme Educational & Learning Sciences at Utrecht University. Her research is closely related to one of the four strategic themes of the Utrecht University: Youth & Identity. Within this theme researchers from e.g. social science, neuroscience and humanities work together in a multidisciplinary approach.

Prince Claus Chair
The Prince Claus Chair is an academic Chair based alternately at Utrecht University and the Institute of Social Studies. The aim of the two institutions in establishing this Chair is to promote research and education in international development in accordance with the views and ideas of Prince Claus. Outstanding young academics from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean or the Pacific are eligible to hold the Chair. The Curatorium of the Prince Claus Chair is presided over by Princess Máxima.

Further information

Ronnie van Veen, Press Officer of the faculty of Social and Behavioural Science. (030) 253 4027, r.a.b.vanveen@uu.nl