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School of Politics - USA Certificate Program
SCHOOL OF POLITICS USA CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
The School of Politics USA certificate program, the first of the international field programs conducted by the Bahçeşehir University Center for American Studies, has been held regularly every academic year since the 2006-2007 academic year in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.
The most important aim of the School of Politics USA certificate program is to gain in-depth knowledge of the political system, and particularly the foreign policy, of the United States, one of the most important elements of Türkiye's foreign policy. Accordingly, the program is designed in a format that allows visits to the country's key institutions, so that Türkiye-US relations and the factors shaping American domestic and foreign policy can be grounded in reliable data, and that supports the development of collaborations in this direction.
Through the School of Politics USA certificate program, our participants have the opportunity to meet and talk with senators and representatives serving in the US Congress, as well as to visit relevant institutes, think tanks, media organizations and lobbies in person, see first-hand how these organizations operate, and hold meetings with experts.
Within the School of Politics USA certificate program, the information and views shared with our participants by subject experts and decision-makers become an unforgettable experience for them. The impact of this experience on the decisions they make upon returning to their countries is a defining feature that gives the program lasting value.
The certificate program lasts 10 to 14 days and is conducted in English. Turkish interpretation is provided during the meetings. At the end of each meeting, a question-and-answer session coordinated by the session chair gives participants the opportunity to ask questions on the topic of the meeting. At the end of the program, participants are awarded a certificate of participation.
During the program, meetings are held on many topics, such as the importance of lobbies in the US, the systematic differences between the legislative, executive and judicial branches, the balance of power between the Senate and the House of Representatives, the function of the President, how decisions are made within the system, and the influence of lobbies and civil society organizations in the US on domestic and foreign policy. During the program, in addition to many think tanks, official institutions such as the White House, the US Senate, the House of Representatives, the US Supreme Court and the US Congress are visited to learn about their functions.
The institutions visited are broadly listed below.
- Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Washington
- Washington Institute
- American Enterprise Institute
- Georgetown University
- Turkish Coalition of America-Turkish Cultural Foundation
- Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA)
- Hudson Institute
- Assembly of Turkish American Association (ATAA)
- Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
- TÜSİAD USA
- SETA USA
- Bipartisan Policy Center
- Woodrow Wilson Center
- RAND Corporation
- American Turkish Council and its partners
- Middle East Institute
- Atlantic Council
- German Marshall Fund
- Center for American Progress
For more information about the program:
İrem Bilensoy: +90 212 381 5730
