Department of Political Science and International Relations in the Accreditation Process

Üsküdar University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Political Science and International Relations (Turkish and English Programs), has been taken into the accreditation process by the Social, Humanities, and Basic Sciences Accreditation and Rating Association (STAR). Comprehensive inspections were carried out over two days within the scope of the process, which was conducted to evaluate the faculty's educational quality against national and international standards.

The program commenced with an opening meeting held in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Kuzguncuk Hall.

The meeting was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Head of the Political Science and International Relations (Turkish) Department, Assoc. Prof. İbrahim Arslan, Head of the Political Science and International Relations (English) Department, Asst. Prof. Fehmi Ağca, the Directorate of Quality, faculty academics, and the STAR accreditation team.

During the evaluation process, various information regarding the department and faculty structure was shared. The STAR team conducted a comprehensive analysis of educational quality by holding meetings with academics, administrative staff, and students.

Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak: "We see accreditation work as an opportunity"

The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, delivered a comprehensive informational presentation about the faculty within the program's scope. Providing information on the faculty's academic structure, the curriculum's alignment with current needs, student support mechanisms, and ongoing quality improvement efforts, Kaynak stated the following in her speech:

“We see accreditation work not just as an evaluation process, but as a significant opportunity that strengthens our institutional development. As a faculty, we are constantly renewing and improving our educational activities to align them with national and international standards. The review carried out by STAR is extremely valuable, both in highlighting our strong points and in identifying areas open to improvement.”

Assoc. Prof. İbrahim Arslan: "We prioritize offering a strong academic framework"

Head of the Political Science and International Relations (Turkish) Department, Assoc. Prof. İbrahim Arslan, emphasized that accreditation is a critical step in increasing the international visibility of educational programs. Arslan used the following expressions: “As the Department of Political Science and International Relations, we prioritize offering a strong academic framework, both theoretically and practically. We aim for our students to possess the competence to compete on a global scale. This evaluation conducted by STAR serves as an important guide for improving our quality standards and increasing our international visibility.”

Asst. Prof. Fehmi Ağca: "We aim to develop analytical thinking skills"

Head of the Political Science and International Relations (English) Department, Asst. Prof. Fehmi Ağca, provided information on the department's academic structure within the scope of the evaluation program. Ağca stated that the English curriculum is structured in compliance with international standards. Ağca said: “Our department has a strong English curriculum that aims to develop students' analytical thinking skills in the field of global politics. We constantly update our course content and teaching methods to be compatible with international academic standards.”

Accreditation process progressed with intense meetings

The STAR team examined the academic activities carried out in the faculty on-site, observing the following topics in detail:

- Course contents,

- Assessment and evaluation methods,

- Quality assurance mechanisms, and

- Practices related to student experience.

Comprehensive data on the operation of educational processes were collected through meetings with academic staff, students, and administrative units.

Closing report presented

At the end of the two-day evaluation, the STAR team presented the closing report, which included their observations and findings, at a meeting attended by the faculty management, department heads, and academics.

In the meeting, a general framework on the departments' strengths, areas open to development, and the level of compliance with quality standards was shared.

It was stated that the official results of the accreditation process would be announced after the final decision of the evaluation board.