The Department of International Relations at Bilkent University was founded in 1987 under the initiative of Professor Duygu Bazoğlu Sezer, just one year after the establishment of Bilkent University. Professor Ali Karaosmanoğlu, who served as Chair from 1988 to 2007, played a formative role in the Department’s development and in establishing its reputation as a leading center for the study of international relations in Türkiye.
Graduate education became a central component of the Department’s mission from its early years. The MA program in International Relations was established in 1989, followed by the PhD program in 1990. Since then, the Department has educated generations of undergraduate and graduate students who have pursued careers in academia, diplomacy and public service, international organizations, the private sector, media, and civil society in Türkiye and around the world.
The Department also contributed to the development of new areas of research and graduate education at Bilkent. The Center for Russian Studies, founded by Professor Norman Stone in 1998, strengthened research and teaching on Russia and the post-Soviet region. In 2003, the Department launched the Master of International Affairs and Public Policy (MIAPP), an interdisciplinary professional graduate program focusing on international affairs, European integration, governance, and public policy. Both initiatives formed important parts of the Department’s development during this period.
The Department has been led by a succession of scholars who have contributed to its institutional and academic development. Following Professor Karaosmanoğlu, Ersel Aydınlı served as Chair from 2007 to 2010, Pınar Bilgin from 2010 to 2013, Dimitris Tsarouhas from 2013 to 2016, Erinç Yeldan from 2016 to 2020, and Özgür Özdamar from 2020 to 2025. Since 2025, Seçkin Köstem is Chair of the Department.
Over nearly four decades, Bilkent International Relations has developed into a diverse and internationally engaged academic community. Its faculty’s research and teaching span the major fields of the discipline, including international relations theory, international security, foreign policy analysis, international political economy, conflict studies, international history, international law, international organizations, and area studies.
The Department combines theoretical and methodological pluralism with a strong commitment to research and teaching. Its faculty publish in leading international journals and university presses, participate actively in international scholarly networks, and have received major national and international awards and research grants.
Today, Bilkent International Relations offers BA, MA, and PhD degrees and serves a large and diverse undergraduate community alongside its graduate programs. Building on a tradition established in 1987, the Department remains committed to internationally recognized scholarship, rigorous graduate training, and high-quality undergraduate education.
