"Model Diplomacy and Virtual Negotiation" Presentations Mark the End of IR4118
After a semester of intensive collaborative work and virtual online meetings between Bilkent University students and and students at Montclair State University (MSU) in the US, the IR4118 course "Turkey and the United States: Common Concerns and New ICT Instruments" ended on Tuesday, April 30. In the last joint Bilkent-MSU class session, students gave presentations concluding their second and final course assignment on model diplomacy and virtual negotiations.
For this assignment, students were divided into four groups negotiating a solution to two of the world's most complex contemporary issues: Iran's nuclear program, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the first stage, students were asked to investigate one of the topics in depth and write a position paper. The team members then met online with their colleagues in the United States for virtual negotiations using innovative communication technologies (ICT). Under the guidance of course instructors Dr. Nida Shoughry (Bilkent University) and Dr. Zsolt Niyri (MSU), the teams conducted intensive negotiations resulting in the signing of two protocol agreements in a symbolic ceremony.
Subsequently, students reflected on the experience of conducting negotiations and acting as diplomats. While noting the difficulties involved in the negotiating process, they expressed the hope that the treaties they signed in this course might inspire real diplomats to pave the way for peace and reconciliation.
Students were also satisfied with the IR4118 course experience overall. "As a result of the joint work we did with MSU students, the course improved our research and communication skills," said senior IR student Selay Siperoğlu. "It was a great experience for us to be part of a course like this, in which we all worked interactively. We also had a chance to gain new friends from thousands of miles away."
Third-year IR student Yiğit Mahmutoğlu remarked, "This course was completely different from those I've taken before. I would recommend the course to other students if they want to have an unusual experience in which academia and technology merge."
By Alp Eren Başer (IR/IV), İlkin Ismayilov (IR/IV), Çağla Kılıç (IR/III), Selay Siperoğlu (IR/IV), Bora Akbay (IR/IV), Yiğit Mahmutoğlu (IR/III), and Pınar Köksal (IR/IV)