Hüsnü Cagdas Arslan

Short presentation

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüsnü Çağdaş Arslan is a linguist specialising in historical Turkic languages. After completing his PhD, he held teaching and research posts there before joining İzmir Democracy University in 2022, progressing to Associate Professor. In 2025 he joined Uppsala University as Researcher and Associate Professor. His work focuses on Old Turkic manuscripts, Old Uyghur texts, lexicology and philology, and he is the author of Batı Uygurlarının Dili ve Kültürü (Eski Uygurca Mektuplar).

Keywords

• Turkology
• Old Turkic
• Old Uyghur
• Manuscript philology
• Historical linguistics
• Silk Road texts
• Lexicology
• Uppsala University
• İzmir Democracy University.

Biography

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüsnü Çağdaş Arslan (born 1987 in Adana, Türkiye) is a Turkish linguist and Turkologist specializing in the historical development of the Turkic languages, Old Turkic manuscript traditions, and philological studies of Central Asian sources. He completed his undergraduate education in Turkish Language and Literature at Hacettepe University, followed by further postgraduate studies at Trakya University and Çukurova University. He earned his PhD in Turkish Language and Literature at Çukurova University, where he also began his academic career with teaching and research appointments. Between 2017 and 2022, Dr. Arslan served at Çukurova University, teaching Turkish language as Lecturer, Lecturer (PhD) and working extensively with historical and philological materials. In 2022, he joined İzmir Democracy University, where he advanced through several academic roles including Assistant Professor, and Associate Professor. Over this period, he lectured on all major stages of historical Turkic—such as Köktürk, Old Uyghur, Middle Turkic, Qarakhanid, Kharezm, Kipchak, Chagatay, Old Anatolian and Ottoman Turkish—at undergraduate and graduate levels. In 2025, he joined Uppsala University as Researcher and Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philology. His research focuses on Old Turkic inscriptions, Buddhist and Manichaean Uighur manuscripts, comparative Turkic linguistics, historical lexicology, and the philological interpretation of Silk Road documents. He has authored numerous articles, book chapters, translations, and academic studies, including the monograph Batı Uygurlarının Dili ve Kültürü (Eski Uygurca Mektuplar), which presents new transcriptions, transliterations, and translations of Old Uyghur letters preserved in major manuscript collections. Dr. Arslan has presented at international conferences throughout Europe and Central Asia and is a member of the Society of Turkic, Ottoman and Turkish Studies (GTOT). His linguistic competencies include Turkish, English, Hungarian, Russian, Persian, and introductory-level Swedish, Chinese (Traditional), German, and Chuvash. His scholarship contributes to the documentation and interpretation of early Turkic literary and administrative culture and the development of philological methodology within Turkology.

Research

Dr. Hüsnü Çağdaş Arslan’s research focuses on the historical development of Turkic languages, with particular emphasis on Old Turkic and Old Uyghur manuscript traditions. His work includes the philological analysis of Buddhist and Manichaean texts, studies in conceptual and historical lexicology, and comparative Turkic linguistics. He has produced scholarly editions, translations, and analyses of primary manuscript materials, especially Old Uyghur letters and documents from Central Asian collections. His publications contribute to understanding the linguistic, cultural, administrative, and literary history of early Turkic societies.