In recent days Vice-Dean for International Affairs Péter Krisztián Zachar and Erzsébet N. Rózsa, Professor of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, visited the Turkish partner institutions of the Faculty of Public Governance and International Studies to deepen existing cooperation and explore future opportunities.
The two lecturers visited the Department of International Relations at Istanbul Kültür University in the framework of an Erasmus teaching mobility, where they not only gave a lecture on current issues of Hungarian foreign policy, the V4 countries and Central Europe but also on the development of Turkish-Hungarian relations, on the background of Turanism and the realist foreign policy tradition. Discussions with Prof. Dr Emine Müge Çetiner, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, gave the parties the opportunity to learn about the structures, educational programs, training and internationalisation efforts of the two institutions. In a special workshop organised by Prof. Dr Mensur Akgün, Chair of the Department of International Relations, the Hungarian scholars had the chance to deepen the dialogue between faculty members and experts, discuss the two countries' perceptions of each other, and explore the similarities and differences between Turkish and Hungarian foreign policy goals. In a dedicated presentation, they also highlighted the opportunities offered by Ludovika - UPS and the tremendous academic and professional benefits of Erasmus mobility.
Also, in Istanbul, the two Hungarian lecturers visited the Maslak campus of MEF University, which is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Within the framework of the professional consultation, Dr Zachar and Prof. N. Rózsa met with Prof. Dr Mustafa Kibaroğlu, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, and the Director of the Center for International Security Studies and Strategic Research and with Prof. Dr Ayșegül Kibaroǧlu, the Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations. The meeting discussed the professional opportunities offered by the Ludovika Scholarship and the Ludovika Fellowship and also set out the main orientations for future institutional partnership in international relations, foreign and security policy and water diplomacy for the department of Ludovika-UPS FPGIS.
In addition to the higher education meetings, professional discussions were held with Dr Attila Pintér, the Consul General of Hungary in Istanbul, and members of the Hungarian Embassy in Ankara. In Ankara, the two academics met with the representatives of the Middle East Technical University (Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi), one of the most prestigious and internationally highest-ranked Turkish universities, with a significant public service education. The meeting with Dr Meliha Altunıșık, professor at the Department of International Relations, laid the foundations for future cooperation, the first step of which could be the conclusion of a new Erasmus Inter-Institutional Agreement.
Text: International Department, FPGIS