Mission

The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University was established in 2004 as the Center for European Union Studies to study Turkey’s European Union accession process. Since September 2010, CIES has been undergoing a major transformation by widening its focus in order to pursue applied, policy-oriented research and to promote debate on the most pressing geostrategic issues of the region.

Objectives

Its areas of research and interaction include EU institutions and policies (such as enlargement, neighbourhood policies and CFSP/CSEDP), cross-cutting horizontal issues such as regional cooperation, global governance, and security, inter alia with a geographical focus on the Black Sea Region (including the Caucasus), the Mediterranean, Southeastern Europe, Turkish-Greek relations,  and transatlantic relations.

In order to achieve its aims, the Center plans to focus on the following:

a)   By promoting activities that are sustainable both in terms of their funding and over the long term. These include training seminars for young professionals, undergraduate and graduate students and experts as well as research projects which enhance the Center’s expertise in its priority areas.

b)    By promoting synergies with relevant departments and faculties at Kadir Has University such as the Department of International Relations and the faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.

c)   By cooperating with other pertinent research centers and faculty departments in other universities across Turkey in common research projects, seminars and conferences.

d)   By pursuing activities which enhance international cooperation by working with likeminded research centers, universities, and individual academics and research and building partnerships in the form of joint research projects, project proposals, and meetings in order to enhance the capacity building, international presence and reputation of the Center.

e)    By launching a publication series which reflects the result of the various research activities of the Center.

f)    By holding a number of outreach activities that promote the activities and findings of the Center to the wider university community and the general public.

Activities

CIES will thus seek to enhance its recognition as a viable policy-oriented research center incrementally by augmenting its output (policy-oriented studies, seminars, conferences, training symposia, and other outreach activities).