International Relations is an exciting field of study, which was born at the beginning of the 20th century as an academic discipline. It offers globally-focused perspectives on issues that transcend national boundaries. The idealism and realism debates in the field have been enriched with new perspectives such as structuralism, Marxism, system approach, constructivism, English School and Copenhagen School.
The field has developed in the 21st century to take into account all kinds of relationships and developments between state and non-state actors (individuals, groups, organizations, companies, etc.) under the influence of globalization. International Relations in our University is a field that comes to the forefront with its interdisciplinary nature. With this feature, it is in constant interaction with disciplines such as history, philosophy, political science, law, psychology, sociology, anthropology and economics. The field has sub-branches such as diplomacy, political history, international law, international economics and international security.
ASBÜ International Relations Department conducts research on the world, and offers a rich curriculum that reflects all new developments and changes in the field. It aims to produce alternative theoretical approaches in interpreting hegemonic global politics, with the vision of contributing to the knowledge, derived from our "irfan" (wisdom) tradition.
Our undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs are taught in English. Our undergraduate students are required to learn a second foreign language of their choice. The course content is structured to cover in depth the topics and approaches to region and country expertise, as well as theoretical knowledge of paradigms and debate on the meaning of international relations. In addition to the traditional approaches, Turkish foreign policy is given with special focus on Turkey's immediate surroundings and the Islamic world. A multidisciplinary training based on case analysis, projects and field research is offered.
Our department also work in partnership with our University's Institute of Western World Studies, Institute for Eastern and African Studies, Institute of Turkish Studies and Hacı Bayram Veli Institute of Islamic Studies.
Security politics, peace and conflict studies, migration and diaspora studies, and region and country expertise have been identified as prioritized areas of our Department.
There are five different graduate programs in our department. These are:
- International Relations MA Program
- Peace and Conflict Studies MA Program
- Quds Studies MA Program
- International Relations PhD Program
- Middle East Studies Ph.D. Program
Our priority for our alumni is to be good researchers and enlightened individuals. Our alumni,
- Serve in positions related to Turkish foreign policy; diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, experts in the Ministry of the European Union.
- Are employed by government institutions that support the Turkish foreign policy, such as the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities Presidency (YTB),
- Work in international organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.
- Can take active duty in national and international NGOs.
- Have the opportunity to work in local and multinational companies operating in the private sector, think tanks and the media sector.
- Can make an academic career in the related fields.