From the University Agenda

Strategies for the promotion of Turkey were discussed academically

Different disciplines for the promotion of Turkey came together at Turkey's Promotion Strategies Summit. At the summit, where the Turkish image was handled in many different ways in academic terms, it was aimed to draw a general framework for the promotion of the country.

The "Turkey's Promotion Strategies Summit" brought together experts from several fields and was arranged by Istanbul Gelisim University, the Diploma Foundation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the summit, topics like "How should the promotion of Turkey be, what kind of perception emerges in the world when Turkey is mentioned, what are the various historical, social, and political dynamics that build this perception" were discussed with the goal of creating a general academic framework on how to develop the Turkish brand. Another leg of the summit, which is the first step in the promotion of Turkey, will be a new book to be published. Simultaneously, the objective was to disseminate the announcements made during this summit through various channels and locations.

"Scientific outputs are crucial for the promotion of countries in the world"

Stating that they are proud to host such an event, Istanbul Gelisim University Rector Prof. Dr. Bahri Sahin said that universities also play an active role in terms of promotion. Prof. Dr. Bahri Sahin said, "All institutions are involved in the promotion of Turkey during this time. Therefore, the primary responsibility of universities is to use their research and development, social innovation, and scientific outputs to significantly contribute to Turkey's representation in higher education. Turkish universities have come a long way in the last 20 years. We are pleased that our universities receive even higher rankings as we seek to be among the top 500 in the globe. As a university, we want to contribute to the promotion of Turkey scientifically. Although issues such as public and cultural diplomacy will be discussed at today's summit, we believe that we will address issues such as scientific diplomacy and contribute as a stakeholder. Scientific outputs are crucial for the promotion of countries in the world. Therefore, universities should make an effort in this regard."

"Turkey is moving towards becoming a center in its own region"

Stating that Turkey has recently taken action in many areas, Prof. Dr. Burhanettin Aykut Arikan, Dean of the Faculty of Culture and Social Sciences of the Turkish German University, said, "Turkey has a serious initiative in terms of redefining its own decisive point both in the field of publicity and in the world. In the past, Turkey was given the role of a bridge between the east and the west, and between the north and the south. This bridge role provides a slight variation in activities. Turkey is moving towards becoming a center in its own region. It does this through education, cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy, and it does this by establishing cultural collaborations through ‘soft power’. We are now beginning to come across a Turkish profile that creates culture, science, and the arts. Our distinctly different sides so started to show, particularly in public diplomacy. As a matter of fact, we need to define our ambassadors more in the fields of science, art and culture and establish our communication in these fields."

“We will also address Turkey's brand strength”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oguzhan Bilgin, Director of the Diplomacy Foundation, one of the stakeholders of the summit, said that they filled an important gap with such an event and said, "In fact, this event is an academic event that will address Turkey's promotional strategies. We'll address issues including how to best promote Turkey, the global perception that arises when it's brought up, and the different historical, social, and political factors that contribute to this perception. We will also address Turkey's brand strength. Turkey is a great state with a rich historical legacy, and a strong brand. We exhibit an image based on global politics in the world. As a result, Turkey's policies and promotion imply that Turkey defines itself. The core of all this activity is essentially how Turkey should identify itself, how it is defined in the world, and the fact that Turkey no longer defines itself as a subject for others but rather defines itself. Academics from a variety of fields, including international relations, communication, sociology, and politics, will participate in our discussion about Turkey's identity, brand, and definition. We'll address our options in this respect. Thus, we aspire to fill an important gap.”