For three weeks this summer, a group of seven KU Law students traded Green Hall for the Bosphorus coast and participated in KU Law’s 2026 Summer Study Abroad program in Istanbul, Türkiye. With Bahçeşehir University, one of the country’s premier institutions, serving as the destination for this year’s trip, the program offered much more than general coursework. Students experienced law in a global context, built relationships and gained an understanding of how legal systems intersect across cultures.

The KU Law study abroad group included second-year students Braedon Bush, Evan Haseltine, Sumaya Hussaini, Austin Perr and Zella Tavistock-Thaman; third-year students Darren Chanez and Preston Knight; KU Law Professors Stephen McAllister and Stephen Ware; and Bahçeşehir University Professor Feridun Yenisey.

Professor Ware, who led the program, said the experience offered students a unique opportunity to study international law while immersed in the culture and history of Istanbul.

“Seven KU Law students traveled to the amazing city of Istanbul, Türkiye, where Europe and Asia meet,” he said, “Partnering with former KU Law Dean Stephen McAllister and Bahçeşehir University’s Professor Feridun Yenisey, both excellent teachers, enabled us to offer three international comparative law courses in a modern campus right on the beautiful Bosphorus coast.”

Through simulations and group exercises, students moved beyond theory and into practice, building both legal skills and relationships. Ware described how he structured exercises that placed students in opposing roles within a case, prompting them to engage more deeply and advocate for their positions.

Ware said. “In that moment, I saw that the students had gotten to know each other so well that they were no longer separate groups from the U.S. and Türkiye, but just all future lawyers developing their professional skills of advocacy, negotiation and drafting.”

For Braedon Bush, the academic experience helped to reinforce a deeper understanding of justice.

 “We spent time learning constitutions, legal systems and dispute resolutions from around the world in classes,” Bush said, “In each class, I recognized that every country pursues justice while ensuring human dignity through equitable and legal methods.”

Austin Perr also found the program’s academic breadth to be one of its greatest strengths.

“This is one of the most valuable educational experiences I have ever had.” Perr said, “From researching world constitutions and transnational arbitration agreements to receiving lectures from a founding father of Turkish criminal procedure, every piece of the program was designed to expand our knowledge of comparative lawyering.”

While students spent the mornings in class, afternoons and evenings opened the door to take in their surroundings. For Sumaya Hussaini, each day offered a blend of academics and exploration.

“A typical day started with classes from 9 a.m. to noon, then lunch with the KU and Turkish students at my favorite spots near Bahçeşehir University: a Palestinian owned falafel shop, Turkish breakfast on Breakfast Street and the börek spot across from the law building,” Hussaini said. “Next, we’d take a ferry to explore a new neighborhood of Istanbul and end the night with live music in Beşiktaş square, looking out over the Bosphorus.”

These experiences were complemented even further by the warmth and hospitality of the Turkish community, which left a lasting impression on the students.

“Professor Yenisey invited us into his home for dinner one evening, and that is where I witnessed firsthand the role of hospitality in Turkish culture,” Hussaini said, “I enjoyed my first home-cooked meal of the trip which included a spread of Turkish dishes and desserts. We shared stories, sang both Turkish and English songs and learned how to do the Turkish line dance called halay. We weren’t just welcomed into Professor Yenisey’s home, we were treated like family.”

During the final night, students from both KU Law and Bahçeşehir University gathered for one last group dinner to reflect on their shared experiences. 

 “We had the farewell dinner and went around the table so everyone could speak,” Ware said, “The students from both countries spoke movingly of the friendships they’d developed with each other.”

For students considering the program in the future, Hussaini encouraged them to embrace every opportunity the experience has to offer.

“Take advantage of the KU Law study abroad,” she said, “Cross-cultural communication is an incredibly important skill to have as a lawyer, and this program gives you the opportunity to develop it. Say yes to the dinner invitations, the ferry rides and the extra stop for çay. That’s where the real learning happens.”

While it’s known that your law degree can open doors around the globe, it may not be as well-known that KU Law can do the same during your three years of law school. KU Law offers two formal summer study abroad programs in Ireland and Türkiye as well as two semester-long programs in Scotland and Italy. They also work alongside KU International Affairs for a summer program in England.

Learn about all KU Law’s study abroad opportunities.