IR Students Meet Former Members of US Congress

Three former members of the United States Congress, Karan English (Democrat, Arizona), David Minge (Democrat, Minnesota) and Peter Torkildsen (Republican, Massachusetts) visited Bilkent University on Wednesday, April 10 as part of the "Congress to Campus" program.

In the program, members of the US Association of Former Members of Congress visit university campuses in the US and abroad. During these visits, bipartisan groups of three to five members hold forums and meet with students and faculty, offering an insider's perspective on the workings of American government and politics.

Following a short presentation on US politics and the upcoming US elections, the former members of Congress had a panel discussion with a group of IR students from the BA, MA and PhD programs. Students asked questions about a wide range of topics, including Turkish-American relations, environmental politics in the US, developments in the Middle East and US policies, and the United States' position vis-à-vis the International Criminal Court.