{"id":4072,"date":"2026-04-20T14:41:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T11:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ir.bilkent.edu.tr\/?page_id=4072"},"modified":"2026-04-28T17:00:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:00:38","slug":"recent-phd-graduates","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ir.bilkent.edu.tr\/?page_id=4072","title":{"rendered":"Recent PhD Graduates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Astrid Schnitzer-Skj\u00f8nsberg<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astrid is a development expert with 20 years of experience in aid effectiveness and South-South cooperation, working with international organizations and non-DAC donors. In addition, she has worked with the Austrian foreign ministry, the OSCE, and Reuters. Astrid completed her PhD in January 2026. In her dissertation, she explored the practice of sociability in diplomacy, with a particular focus on China. Astrid holds master degrees from the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Business Administration and Chinese, including an exchange year at Peking University) and Columbia University (International Affairs) on a Fulbright scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dissertation Title:<\/strong> When Diplomats Meet: The Diplomatic Corps, Sociability, and China<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supervisor:<\/strong> Selver B. \u015eahin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduation Year:<\/strong> 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Interests:<\/strong> China, Diplomacy, Development Studies<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact: <\/strong> <\/a>ORCID<\/a> LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mehmet \u00c7a\u011fatay G\u00fcler<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mehmet \u00c7a\u011fatay G\u00fcler graduated from the International Relations Department at Hacettepe University. He has also received an education in Political Science and International Relations at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. He completed his master’s degree in Eurasian Studies at Middle East Technical University with top honors. G\u00fcler has conducted research for his master’s thesis in the Department of Social Sciences at Hamburg University. He completed his Ph.D. at Bilkent University’s Department of International Relations (2026). He served for two years at the National Defence University, Turkish Military Academy; teaching courses on the Russian Federation, Introduction to International Relations, and Turkish Geopolitics. During this time, he participated in two courses conducted under the auspices of NATO (Counter-Terrorism and Civil-Military Cooperation). Dr. G\u00fcler is currently working at the National Intelligence Academy of T\u00fcrkiye. His academic and other works have been published in Turkish, English, and Arabic. He is fluent in English and has intermediate proficiency in Russian and Italian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dissertation Title:<\/strong> Glory to Motherland: Putin\u2019s Grand Strategy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supervisor:<\/strong> A. Tudor Onea<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduation Year:<\/strong> 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affiliation: <\/strong>National Intelligence Academy<\/a> (Mill\u00ee \u0130stihbarat Akademisi)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Interests:<\/strong> Russia, Strategic Studies, Grand Strategy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n