IR Students Play "Crisis Game": Diplomacy Wins the Day
On December 17, undergraduate students from the Department of International Relations gathered together for a day of intense crisis diplomacy. Playing a "crisis game" designed for them by Assistant Professor Dr. Ali Bilgic, IR students organized into teams of three to five, simulating a "real world" crisis and seeking to manage it. The game was played in meeting rooms and media centers set up at FEASS and online through Facebook. Nineteen undergraduate students, and five postgraduates who steered the course of events, enjoyed themselves thoroughly while learning about the intricacies of international diplomacy. The game lasted all day, with the teams keeping their diplomatic channels open even during lunch!
Simulations such as "crisis games" are frequently utilized as teaching tools that are both fun and conducive to learning. They are less structured than the well-known Model United Nations framework, but equally rewarding. The Department of International Relations plans to organize an annual crisis game for its English Language Preparatory Program students.
Please join the participants on Facebook to see how "Crisis Game 2011" evolved and to remain updated: https://www.facebook.com/BilkentIRKrizOyunu