Library Lunchtime Lectures: From International Relations to Computer Science
On Wednesday, November 16, Assoc. Prof. Pınar Bilgin. chair of the Department of International Relations, delivered the second of this semester's Library Lunchtime Lectures, entitled "International Relations in a Changing World."
Speaking to a full audience in the Library's Art Gallery, Dr. Bilgin started by offering a series of definitions of "international relations" (IR). She then described the developments that have been taking place in this discipline over the past decades.
Dr. Bilgin argued that the periodic shifts in the focus of IR, from its initial focus on diplomacy, to relations between states, and then to trans-boundary flows and interactions, and more recently to global dynamics, is partly the result of the changing world in which we live and partly due to changes in the way we think about the world.
She illustrated these ideas with reference to her work on security, and showed how answers to the questions "Whose security?", "What is security?" and "How to pursue security?" have varied, depending on the definition of the region involved. For example, the traditional concept of the "Middle East" resulted in concerns about energy security and the stability of like-minded regimes; whereas the more recent idea of "the Mediterranean" has produced different security issues, especially that regarding stability in North Africa. In this context, she briefly discussed some aspects of the recent "Arab spring," with particular reference to the use of internet technology and the changing attitudes of people "on the streets."
Dr. Bilgin concluded by examining the role of international relations scholars both as players in the world and as products of their own times. Following this, she answered questions from students and faculty members in the audience.
The next Library Lunchtime Lecture will be given by Prof. Fazlı Can, of the Department of Computer Science, on Wednesday, December 14. Also, please note that a week earlier, on December 7 at 2 p.m., writer Nazlı Eray will be in the Library to give a talk (in Turkish) about her books. Be sure to mark your calendars for both events.