INTERDISCIPLINARY REGIONAL STUDIES CONFERENCE: MIDDLE EAST – CALL FOR PAPERS

INTERDISCIPLINARY REGIONAL STUDIES CONFERENCE: MIDDLE EAST – CALL FOR PAPERS

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.

1. The Middle East and Security

• 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

2. The Middle East and the Environment

• 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

3. The Middle East and Women

• 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

4. The Middle East and Migration

• 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

5. The Middle East and Politics

• 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.

IMPORTANT DATES

• 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

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

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.

CONFERENCE VENUE

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.

CONTACT INFORMATION

[email protected]

Çırağan Caddesi Osmanpaşa Mektebi Sokak No: 4 - 6 34353 Beşiktaş, ISTANBUL / TURKEY

CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

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

CONFERENCE ADVISORY BOARD

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)

CONFERENCE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

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