Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences has designated the Middle East as the theme for its inaugural Interdisciplinary Regional Studies Conference to be held in 2026.
In recent years, political transformations, the restructuring of regional power balances, deepening environmental fragilities, rising socio-economic inequalities, and emerging geopolitical dynamics in international politics have rendered regional studies increasingly critical from both theoretical and practical perspectives.
This conference aims to address current and historical issues related to the Middle East from an interdisciplinary perspective and to create a productive, deliberative, and comprehensive academic platform by bringing together researchers, experts, and graduate students studying the region.
The following are examples of topics that may be addressed at the conference, but submissions are not limited to these topics. Original and innovative studies from different disciplines are also welcome.
Non-state actors, militia forces, and conflict dynamics
Regional alliances and great power competition
Cybersecurity, digital authoritarianism, and information warfare
Terrorism, radicalization, and counter-radicalization policies
Defense technologies, military strategies, and security architecture
Climate change, drought, and water resource management
Environmental security and eco-political competition
Energy policies, renewable energy transitions
Environmental justice, rural transformation, and ecological migration
Natural disasters, urbanization, and infrastructure vulnerabilities
Gender relations and the transformation of women's rights
Women's representation in politics, the economy, and civil society
Women's experiences in conflict zones
Violence against women, legal frameworks, and policy recommendations
Forced displacement, refugeehood, and border policies
Integration, identity, belonging, and diaspora studies
The socio-economic impacts of migration
Migration routes, security regimes, and human trafficking
Foreign policy approaches and regional diplomacy
State capacity, governance models, and institutional structures
Economic-political transformations and development strategies
Social movements, collective action, and political participation
Geopolitical trends and the search for a new regional order
Researchers wishing to participate in the conference must submit their abstracts of at least 250 and no more than 500 words and relevant keywords by March 15, 2026, by filling out the application form at the link below. Applications will only be accepted via the online form.
Click here to submit your application
The abstract book will be printed prior to the conference and shared electronically with all participants. After the conference, authors will have the opportunity to submit their papers to the Middle East Studies journal published by ORSAM. However, submission does not guarantee publication. Papers will be subject to preliminary review in accordance with the journal's publication policies, and only those that meet academic criteria will be considered for peer review. Papers that successfully pass the peer review process may be published in the Middle East Studies journal.
Abstract Submission Deadline: March 15, 2026
Acceptance Notification: March 30, 2026
Registration Opens: April 1, 2026
Registration Deadline: April 15, 2026
Conference Dates: May 7-8, 2026
Following acceptance of your abstract, the registration fee of 2,000 TL should be paid to the IBAN number below, and the payment receipt should be sent to [email protected] There is no registration fee for master's and doctoral students.
Account Name: Bahçeşehir University
IBAN: TR32 0013 4000 0019 9214 6003 30
The registration process will only be considered complete once the payment receipt has been received by us. Registration fees are non-refundable.
The conference will be held in person at the Fazıl Say Conference Hall in the South Campus of Bahçeşehir University in Beşiktaş, Istanbul. All sessions and panels will be held in the relevant halls within the campus, and the detailed program will be shared with participants before the conference date.
Çırağan Caddesi Osmanpaşa Mektebi Sokak No: 4 - 6 34353 Beşiktaş, ISTANBUL / TURKEY
Prof. Dr. Nilüfer Narlı
Prof. Dr. Esra Albayrakoğlu
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yüksel Alper Ecevit
Asst. Prof. Dr. Zekeriya TÜZEN
Asst. Prof. Dr. Kadir TEMİZ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Deena SALEH SAHIN
Asst. Prof. Dr. Atakan YILMAZ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Günce Sabah ERYILMAZ
Prof. Dr. Özden Zeynep OKTAV (Istanbul Medeniyet University)
Prof. Dr. Ali Resul USUL (Istanbul Medipol University)
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Hüseyin BİLGİN (Istanbul Medeniyet University)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umut UZER (Istanbul Technical University)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Kadir TEMİZ (ORSAM President)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Seçil YILMAZ (University of Pennsylvania)
Dr. Tuğba Evrim MADEN (Policy Development Coordinator, Turkish Water Institute)
Turan KIŞLAKÇI (Journalist)
Prof. Dr. Alpaslan AKAY
Prof. Dr. Esra ALBAYRAKOĞLU
Prof. Dr. Mehmet ÇELİK
Prof. Dr. Yılmaz ESMER
Prof. Dr. Seyfettin GÜRSEL
Prof. Dr. Nilüfer NARLI
Prof. Dr. Selcen ÖNER
Prof. Dr. Mine ÖZAŞÇILAR ÖZTÜRK
Prof. Dr. Ulaş SUNATA
Prof. Dr. Ali Resul USUL
Prof. Dr. Pınar Melis YELSALI PARMAKSIZ
Prof. Dr. Hakan YILMAZ
Prof. Dr. Çağlar YURTSEVEN
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşegül AKDEMİR
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Damla BAYRAKTAR AKSEL
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yüksel Alper ECEVİT
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Derya GÜRSES TARBUCK
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rahime SÜLEYMANOĞLU KÜRÜM
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaan ÖĞÜT
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deren ÜNALMIŞ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Burak DOĞAN
Asst. Prof. Dr. Bora ERDAMAR
Asst. Prof. Dr. Günce Sabah ERYILMAZ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Gökhan Şahin GÜNEŞ
Asst. Prof. Dr. İlhan Zeynep KARAKILIÇ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Firuze Simay SEZGİN
Asst. Prof. Dr. Deena SALEH SHAHIN
Asst. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Asenov SIMEONOV
Asst. Prof. Dr. Nuran Feryal TANSUĞ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Kadir TEMİZ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Zekeriya TÜZEN
Asst. Prof. Dr. Serkan YESILYURT
Asst. Prof. Dr. Atakan YILMAZ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Seçil YILMAZ
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