Activities
Alumni Conferences
The Alumni Conferences are a core component of the GET MA programme and reflect a vibrant international network that connects academia, politics and professional practice. They provide a space for scholarly exchange, intercultural dialogue and intergenerational networking among alumni, current students and external experts. The first conference was held at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara and focused on migration and German-Turkish relations. From the outset, the format combined academic debate with personal exchange: new students benefit from engaging with experienced graduates and gain insights into academic specialisations and international career paths. Since then, the conferences have been held almost annually, alternating between Berlin and Ankara. They strengthen transnational and intercultural ties within the GET MA community and promote sustained exchange on current research projects, socio-political developments and professional experiences. In doing so, they foster academic and professional networks that enable cooperation across academia, politics and practice, and support the long-term career development of alumni.
Ankara, 21–24 November 2024
The 8th GET MA Alumni Conference brought together more than 40 graduates from over ten countries in Ankara. Alumni-organised panels and practice-oriented workshops addressed key global challenges, including security policy and the Zeitenwende, energy issues, disinformation, migration, social change and gender activism. Distinguished experts from diplomacy, academia and the media contributed to the discussions. The conference once again highlighted the programme’s distinctive strength: the combination of academic excellence, practice-oriented training and an active international alumni network.
Belgrade, 6–9 October 2022
Following the pandemic-related break, the alumni community was finally able to meet again in person in 2022. Hosted by the University of Belgrade in cooperation with the GET MA Office, the conference offered a diverse and engaging programme. Key themes included democracy and authoritarianism in the post-communist Balkans and Serbia’s EU integration process. Academic lectures, alumni-led panels and insights into local politics and society made the conference an intensive forum for both scholarly and personal exchange.
Online Conference 2021
In 2021, the Alumni Conference was held online due to the pandemic. Over two days of presentations and discussion panels, international networking remained vibrant despite the circumstances, demonstrating the resilience and cohesion of the GET MA community.
Ankara, 22–25 November 2018
The fifth Alumni Conference marked the eleventh year of the programme. Around 50 alumni from Germany, Turkey and other countries gathered to exchange views on developments within the programme as well as their professional and academic trajectories. A keynote address by Prof. Dr Sencer Ayata, one of the programme’s founding figures, was a particular highlight. Workshops on design thinking and on the ethics and methodology of conducting fieldwork complemented the academic programme.
Berlin, 16–18 November 2017
The fourth Alumni Conference, held at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, coincided with the tenth anniversary of the German-Turkish Master’s Programme. Since its launch in 2007, GET MA has produced graduates from numerous regions around the world. The conference focused on the diverse career paths and research projects of alumni – ranging from doctoral research in the social sciences to roles in education, policy advisory work and civil society initiatives.
The Alumni Conferences thus consistently reflect the core of the GET MA programme: academic excellence, international perspectives and a strong, intergenerational network that sustainably fosters scholarly dialogue and professional cooperation.
GET MA Alumni Network
The GET MA Alumni Network was founded in 2023 as a voluntary initiative by and for alumni of the GET MA program. It works independently from the GET MA administration offices at HU Berlin and METU Ankara. The aim of the GET MA Alumni Network is to establish a platform to encourage and promote exchange among GET MA alumni. We organize activities, such as local meet-ups, support the GET MA office in the planning of alumni conferences, and assist students with questions around the study program.
The GET MA Alumni Steering Committee (SC) was created to facilitate decision-making within the alumni network and to represent its interests externally. Spokespersons for the current SC term 2025-27 are Arian Karahasan and Wouter Massink (both alumni from GET MA cohort 2020-2022).
SC members are:
Lisa Schwitalla (GET MA 15-17), Paul Schwenn (GET MA 20-22), Özge Meral (GET MA 17-19), Lena Kiss (GET MA 20-22), Gizem Kiliç (GET MA 17-19), Maxi Schneider (GET MA 17-19), Mohammad Walo (GET MA 18-20).
The GET MA Alumni SC can be contacted at: getmaalumnisteeringcommittee@gmail.com
The GET MA Alumni Network is open to all alumni. If you are a GET MA alumni and want to join our
network, please email us with your mobile number so we can add you to our WhatsApp group.
GeT MA Working Paper Series
The GeT MA Working Paper Series is a unique collection of excellent M.A. thesis projects prepared by the students of the German Turkish Masters Program in Social Sciences.
2018
Turkey's view on NATO through the scope of strategic culture theories 2009-2016 (Cesar Vinken, Netherlands)
Keywords: Strategy culture, Turkish Foreign Policy, NATO, Ahmet Davutoğlu, Neo-Ottomanism
The Community of Academics for Peace in Germany - How Frames and Identities Shape the Development of a Transnational Social Movement (Anne Berger, Germany)
Keywords: Social Movement Theory, Turkey, collective identity, transnational social movements, Framing Theory
Violence and the Neoliberal Governing of the ‘Unwanted’ - The case of Serbian Asylum Seekers in Germany (Jelena Jovičić, Serbia)
Keywords: neoliberal governing, asylum rights, refugees, labeling, violence
Domestic Politics and the Decision-Making Process in Turkish Foreign Policy (Anne Bunnenberg, Germany)
Keywords: Turkey,foreign policy, domestic politics, realism, liberalism, Islamic State, AKP
Turkish Language as a Politicized Element: The Case of Turkish Nation-Building (Tolga Sevin, Turkey)
Keywords: Sprachpolitik, Türkische Sprache, Türkischer Nationalismus, Sprachreform, Sun-Sprachtheorie
2014
Coercive Diplomacy Strategy of the EU. The European Union's Engagement with Iran on Its Nuclear Programme (Asli Degirmenci Sagbakken, Turkey)
Keywords: Coercive Diplomacy, Nuclear Power, Iran’s Nuclear Programme, European Union, Security
The Perceptions, Attitudes and Political Strategies of "Die Linke". A Political Discourse Analysis (Can Küçükali, Turkey)
Keywords: Die Linke; critical discourse analysis; political discourse analysis; discursive strategies; German politics
Corporate Social Responsibility in the Realm of neo-liberal Art of Governing (Ela Kurtcu, Turkey)
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Turkey, neo-liberalism, governmentality
Online Mobilization and Offline Participation in European Elections (Constantin Manuel Bosancianu, Romania)
Keywords: mobilization, online, offline, European Parliament elections, structural equation modeling
Bound to Lose! The Tea Party and Pro-Köln Right-Wing Populist Reactions to Mosque Construction. A Comparative Analysis (Noah Telson, USA)
Keywords: Populism, Mosque, Pro-Köln, Tea-Party
Irregular Migration in Germany. "Assistance to Return" as Expression of New Rationalities of Government (Ruth Steuerwald, Germany)
Keywords: Fostering return, voluntary return, irregular migration, governmentality
Dynamic Partnership. A Constructivist Discourse Analysis of the Contemporary American Understanding of the U.S.-Turkish Relationship (Ursula Elinor Moffitt, USA)
Keywords: Constructivism, discourse analysis, post-structuralism, American foreign policy, U.S.-Turkish relations, presidential speeches, Obama, Erdogan
Governing Health. Transformations in the Turkish Health Care System (Stefan Kohlwes, Germany)
Keywords: Turkey, Welfare State, Social Policy, Health Care, Governmentality, Health Transformation Program, Neoliberalism
The Russian-Turkish Gas Trade Partnership. Structures and Policies (Mavjuda Akramova, Tajikistan)
Keywords: Russian-Turkish relations; Russian-Turkish Gas Trade Partnership, Russian-Turkish bilateral trade, Energy diplomacy, Global and Regional aspirations, Russian-Turkish pragmatism and interdependence
Turkish Foreign Policy towards the Balkans. The influence of traditional determinants on Davutoğlu’s conception of Turkey-Balkan Relations (Marija Mitrovic, Serbia)
Keywords: Turkish Foreign Policy, Ahmet Davutoğlu, the Balkans, international relations, constructivism, agency-structur
From Tbilisi to Berlin: Joint Master’s Degree in the Making
A DAAD-funded Summer School in Tbilisi has paved the way for a new collaboration between Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU). The GET MA – Global and European Transformations Master in Social Sciences – is planned to include students from TSU starting in winter semester 2026/27. Combining HU’s strengths in democracy research and European integration studies with TSU’s expertise in the Black Sea region and security studies, the interdisciplinary programme will offer students unique academic and professional opportunities through collaboration with international universities and think tanks.
Joint Master’s Degree GET MA Planned for 2026 – Summer School in Georgia Sets the Stage
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) in Georgia are planning to launch a joint international Master’s programme in the winter semester 2026/27: the GET MA – Global and European Transformations Master in Social Sciences. This interdisciplinary degree will combine perspectives from political science, sociology, international relations, and law, targeting students who seek to understand and shape the political, social, and economic transformation processes in Europe and its neighbouring regions.
Summer School as a platform for exchange and cooperation
The initiative took shape during a week-long Summer School in Tbilisi, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with support from the German Federal Foreign Office. The programme featured lectures, workshops, and debates on topics including democratisation, security in the Black Sea region, geopolitical challenges in the South Caucasus, European integration, and social transformations.
Alongside the intensive academic sessions, Prof. Salome Dundua (TSU), Prof. Kornely Kakachia (TSU), Prof. Silvia von Steinsdorff (HU), and Dr. Claudia-Yvette Matthes (HU) held in-depth discussions on expanding the partnership between their institutions. All agreed that the Summer School should be only the beginning of a long-term collaboration. By the end of the week, the foundations for a joint Master’s degree had been laid.
TSU’s expertise in the Black Sea region and security studies
TSU is one of the leading universities in the South Caucasus and is particularly renowned for its expertise in the political and security dynamics of the Black Sea region. Prof. Kakachia, Jean Monnet Chair and Director of the Georgian Institute of Politics, specialises in comparative politics, regional security, NATO/EU relations, and conflict resolution in the Caucasus. He is also co-editor, together with Stefan Meister and Stephan Malerius, of the volume Security Dynamics in the Black Sea Region. Geopolitical Shifts and Regional Orders, underlining his prominent role in shaping scholarly and policy debates on the region. These thematic strengths complement the HU’s expertise in Central and Eastern European studies, democracy research, and European integration.
Interdisciplinary, international, practice-oriented
The planned GET MA programme will combine academic excellence with a practice-oriented approach, including collaboration with international partners such as the Middle East Technical University in Ankara and leading think tanks. Students will gain access to a unique international network and receive training that prepares them for careers in diplomacy, international organisations, policy consulting, NGOs, business, and academia.
With the successful Summer School in Tbilisi, the first step has been taken: both universities are now working to make the joint Master’s degree a reality by 2026.