Activities
Course Assessment
Students are expected to attend lectures regularly. Attendance constitutes 25% of the grade. Students will write two short papers (50 %) and submit a final paper (25 %).
Short Papers
The word limit for short paper assignments in which students will respond to questions provided by the lecturers on the online lecture topics is 1000 words per each paper. The assignments will be due on May 31st, 2024.
Final Papers
Once enrolled to the BIP, students should choose a unique topic pertaining to contemporary issues of Middle East politics that will be approved by the course lecturer. Word limit for the final paper is 1500 words (-250, +500). A 100-word abstract and a bibliography are required. You should add at least 5 sources to the bibliography mainly from the required readings on the syllabus. Further academic sources can also be cited.
All written assignments will be uploaded to Turn-It-In programme to ensure academic integrity.
Academic writing rules must be followed strictly. Please follow the guidelines of the Journal of International Relations for academic writing and referencing.
The link to the guidelines: https://www.ir-journal.com/for-authors/guidelines
Presentation Video
Students are also required to submit a 5 to 7 minutes video recording of themselves whilst presenting their final papers.
The submission date of the final paper and the presentation videos will be no later than July 7th, 2024.
More information on the presentation format will be provided during the course.
Please send your research papers and video recordings to Dr. Gülriz Şen’s e-mail address (gulriz.tobbetu@gmail.com) by the deadline.
Please edit your file names in Surname_Name_Title format
Students will receive 5 ECTS credits only if they fulfill requirements of in-person attendance and submission of all written assignments. Students who fail to fulfil ECTS requirements will be given a signed certificate of attendance.
BIP 2023 Bodrum
Cross-border knowledge exchange: ERASMUS program brings students from around the world to Bodrum
As part of the ERASMUS Blended Intensive Program (BIP), the exciting course "Contemporary Issues in World Politics" took place at Bodrum Institute in Bodrum. From June 5 to 9, 26 international students had the opportunity to participate in this course.
The course was organized as a cooperation between TOBB ETÜ, Rakovski National Defense College (Sofia, Bulgaria) and Humboldt-Universität. In addition to the participants from Turkey, Bulgaria and Germany, students from LSE also participated in the courses, which further promoted internationalization and intercultural exchange.
Before and after the face-to-face event in Bodrum, part of the course was conducted online, while the rest took place in Bodrum. This mix of online and face-to-face events allowed students to interact with their international peers and gain valuable experience for their future careers.
The BIP was led by an impressive group of renowned faculty, including Prof. Dr. Haldun Yalçınkaya from TOBB ETÜ, Prof. Dr. Özlem TÜR from Middle East Technical University Ankara - the academic director of the GeT MA program at METU, Prof. Dr. Sinem Akgül Açıkmeşe from Kadir Has University, and many other experts* from various renowned educational institutions.
As a special highlight, participants had the opportunity to meet former Ambassador and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ahmet Üzümcü. He chaired a panel on "Contemporary Issues in the Eastern Mediterranean". The panel was held at the Bodrum Maritime Museum. Other panelists* were Prof. Dr. Dimitri Triantaphyllou from Panteion University (Athens, Greece), Prof. Dr. Yücel Acer from Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University and Assoc. Prof. Pınar İpek from TOBB ETÜ.
In addition, another panel on "Contemporary Issues in the Black Sea Region" was organized. This panel was moderated by Prof. Dr. Sinem Akgül Açıkmeşe from Kadir Has University with the participation of Prof. Dr. Mitat Çelikpala from Kadir Has University and Ambassador (R) Fatih Ceylan from Ankara Policy Center.
The BIP "Contemporary Issues in World Politics" course in Bodrum was a great success and offered students a unique opportunity to broaden their knowledge, gain new perspectives and make valuable contacts. The opportunity to meet renowned speakers* from different universities and to interact with international students contributed to strengthening intercultural understanding and academic exchange.
The event in Bodrum, which took place within the framework of the ERASMUS Blended Intensive Program, underlines Humboldt-Universität's efforts to further its internationalization and to provide an enriching learning environment for students from different countries.
The participants of the BIP course "Contemporary Issues in World Politics" returned with new insights, a deeper understanding and valuable experiences. The opportunity to listen to and discuss with top experts and to exchange ideas with their peers undoubtedly contributed to the enrichment of their academic careers.
Humboldt-Universität is pleased with the success of the BIP course in Bodrum and will continue to offer such international programs in the future to broaden students' horizons and provide them with a first-class education. The exchange of knowledge and ideas in an intercultural environment remains a central part of the University's philosophy and will continue to be encouraged.
Through such pioneering initiatives, Humboldt-Universität contributes to the promotion of intercultural dialogue and cooperation on a global scale. The BIP course "Contemporary Issues in World Politics" in Bodrum was another milestone on this path and a great success for all involved.
Meeting with Nobel Laureate
At the beginning of the winter semester 2023-24, students in the international master's programs of the Department of Social Sciences had the unique opportunity to engage with a distinguished guest. Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 as Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, shared insights from his extensive diplomatic career. Formerly Turkey's Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador to Israel, and Consul in Aleppo, Üzümcü provided first-hand perspectives on current global issues. The discussion focused on the armed conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, and explored diplomatic approaches to international problem solving. This exclusive event proved invaluable to students who may also pursue diplomatic careers.
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
Alumni Conferences
In 2013 the first Alumni conference held place at METU in Ankara with a focus on migration and German-Turkish relations. Besides that new students of the program had the possibility to meet experienced Alumni from whom they learnt a lot about program issues.
Nearly every year we organize a three-day-conference alternate in Berlin and Ankara which aim is to strengthen the intergenerational bond of the GeT MA family and to stay in contact with the Alumni community. During these conferences former and current GeT MA students can exchange their experiences, exchange about job opportunities and discuss their current research topics. Due to the attendance of extern experts of politics, sciences and economy, the Alumni have the chance for networking and learning more about career options.
Ge T MA Alumni Conference 2022 in Belgrade (Oktober 6-9, 2022)
Finally we could get back together! For 4 days we were able to celebrate our real reunion in a very special place. Thanks to our colleagues Gordona Ristic and Nemanja Dzuverovic from the University of Belgrade, we were able to spend the time at this renowned university and in this exciting city. With the GeTMA Office, the two put together a program that was incredibly diverse and dealt with a wide variety of topics. From keynotes about democracy and authoritarianism in the Balkans after communism to questions about the integration process of Serbia into the EU to panel discussions that were designed and led by the alumni, there was a lot of vivid discussion, knowledge about Serbia increased during city tours and visits to the parliament and in the evenings we celebrated with incredibly delicious food in beautiful restaurants. Belgrade inspired us all
Ge T MA online Alumni Conference 2021
Due to Covid our alumni conference could not take place, but we have now met online for a two-day conference with many interesting talks and inputs and plenty of time for exchange. So we have at least networked virtually and are full of anticipation for our next meeting.
This year, in the eleventh year of the program’s existence, the GeT MA Alumni Conference took place in Ankara from November 22-25. Around fifty alumni from Germany, Turkey and the world travelled to Ankara to exchange news about their studies and professional careers over four days.
We were thrilled about the opening of the conference with a key note speech by Prof.Dr. Sencer Ayata, one of the founding fathers of the German Turkish Master Program. The Berlin team reported about innovations in the study regulations of the program and the new cooperations with different universities in Europe and the USA. In addition, they informed about the Get MA Berlin Track, now in its third year, which offers refugees in Germany the opportunity to study the master's program in Berlin.
Gökhan Tuncer's lecture entitled "Tell me how you work, and I'l tell you who you are" made the audience laugh and think about working spaces in the city.
On Friday afternoon, former students talked about their current research and work. Kristina Shaw reported on "Racial Inequality in Education: The Importance of Social Justice Pedagogy" from her working environment in the USA and discussed similarities and differences in Europe. Annina Kull reported on her work at the Fulbright Commission and opportunities to study in the USA.
In addition, our alumni gave workshops on Design Thinking (Rona van der Zander) and Ethics and Methodology of Conducting Field Work (David Leupold) over the weekend, where there was plenty of time to exchange ideas and be creative.
The fourth GeT MA Alumni Conference took place from 16th to 18th November 2017 at the Humboldt University Berlin and celebrated the tenth anniversary of the German Turkish Master Program. Since its launch in 2007, the GeT MA Programme has produced over 70 successful graduates from all regions of the world. For the second time in Berlin, we have brought a large part of them together with students of the current GeT MA year for the Alumni Conference 2017.
In addition to lectures by the program coordinators from Ankara and Berlin, the program focused on the former students themselves: Eight former students reported on their career paths and current research projects.
Ursula Moffit presented her research on "Heterogeneity in institutionalized educational processes" as part of her doctoral thesis at the University of Potsdam.
Sevket Seva presented his doctoral thesis at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin on the transformation of social policies in Turkey since the 1980s.
Serap Yilmaz described her daily work as a talent scout at Talentscouting-Köln and Daniel Meehan presented his work at the RespAct project of the CamP Group.
The diversity of the professions and their different references to studies offered space for lively discussions.
GeT MA Alumni Network
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 2023-24 are Özge Meral and Alvina Umatova (both alumni from 2017-2019).
SC members are:
Merve Büyükçakıroğlu (2012-2014), Carolin Bannorth (2011-2013), Ali Doğan (2015-2017), William Harrie (2017-2019), Maximiliane Schneider (2017-2019), Lisa Schwitalla (2015-2017), Jan Taşçı (2010-2012).
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.
