Established at Near East University in 2013, the Near East Institute (NEI) serves as an interdisciplinary research and policy institute focusing on Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Eurasia and wider regional and global affairs. The Institute brings together academic expertise and research capacity across disciplines to promote high-quality research, international collaboration and policy-relevant knowledge production.

MISSION

The mission of the Near East Institute is to advance interdisciplinary research on Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Eurasia and wider regional and global affairs. The Institute brings together researchers, research centres and diverse methodological perspectives to generate rigorous, policy-relevant knowledge and to strengthen the research capacity of Near East University. Through academic research, international collaboration, policy analysis, field studies, publications and scholarly engagement, the Institute seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of complex regional and global challenges and to strengthen the connection between academic knowledge and policy-making.

VISION

The Near East Institute aspires to become a leading interdisciplinary research and policy institute in the region, recognised for academic excellence, innovative research, international engagement and meaningful contributions to regional and global debates. The Institute seeks to foster a dynamic, inclusive and collaborative academic ecosystem in which researchers from different disciplines and research centres work collectively around shared research themes and strategic priorities. By promoting high-quality research and strengthening its international academic networks and policy engagement, the Institute aims to enhance the visibility, influence and societal impact of research produced at Near East University.

ACADEMIC GOVERNANCE and RESEARCH STRUCTURE

The Near East Institute brings together a number of research centres under Research Clusters in order to systematically develop its research capacity and foster a collaborative and participatory academic ecosystem. The Cluster model is designed to strengthen coordination and interdisciplinary cooperation while allowing individual research centres to retain their existing administrative structures and institutional identities.

The structure is shaped through the collective input of the Institute’s Executive Steering Committee, formed by Cluster Coordinators and academic staff. Each Cluster brings together research centres and individual researchers working in related thematic areas, creating opportunities for the sharing of knowledge, methodologies, expertise and field experience, as well as for the development of joint research projects and initiatives. This flexible governance model is intended to facilitate collaboration, while providing a framework for developing shared research agendas and strategic priorities.

• Prof. Dr. Murat Tüzünkan
• Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul
• Prof. Dr. Ghadir Golkarian
• Prof. Dr. Nur Köprülü
• Doç. Dr. Mustafa Çıraklı
• Doç. Dr. Sait Akşit
• Doç. Dr. Erdi Şafak

RESEARCH CLUSTERS

1. History and Society

The History and Society Cluster brings together research on Cyprus’s history and its relationship with social and cultural change. It examines historical developments and heritage through interdisciplinary approaches, with particular attention to documenting, researching and communicating Cyprus’s historical experience. The Cluster supports archival and scholarly research, scientific publications and the development of historical awareness, while connecting historical scholarship with wider society.

Centre(s): Cyprus History Research Centre (YDÜ-KTAM)

Cluster Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul ([email protected])

2. Strategic Studies and Ecopolitics

The Strategic Studies and Ecopolitics Cluster brings together research on strategy, energy policy, environmental politics, resource governance, and the wider political and regional dynamics shaping Eurasia and the Eastern Mediterranean. It examines the interconnections between geopolitics, energy, natural resources, environmental change, and political and economic security through interdisciplinary research. The Cluster supports academic inquiry, research, education, and international cooperation in these areas, with particular attention to emerging strategic challenges and their regional implications. It seeks to contribute evidence-based knowledge to institutions and decision-makers in the region while fostering collaboration with academic, governmental, civil society, and other relevant organizations.

Centre(s): Centre for Strategy and Energy Policies Research (SEPAM), Eurasian Research Centre (AVRAM)

Cluster Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sait Akşit ([email protected])

3. Political Philosophy and Civilisation

The Political Philosophy and Civilisation Cluster brings together research on ideas, intellectual traditions, philosophy, literature, and questions of human values and society. Its work draws in particular on the study of Rumi and related traditions of Sufism, wisdom and literature, as well as the political thought, intellectual legacy and modernisation perspectives associated with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The Cluster also creates space for wider inquiry into political thought, social transformation and civilisational perspectives. It provides a platform for interdisciplinary scholarship, dialogue and exchange across different intellectual and cultural traditions.

Centre(s): Rumi Research Centre, Atatürk Principles and Reforms Research Centre

Cluster Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Ghadir Golkarian ([email protected])

SELECTED COMPLETED AND ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS

1. The Eastern Mediterranean in the Context of the Middle East Regional Security Complex: Actors and Dynamics

Conducted in collaboration with Başkent University’s Centre for Strategic Studies, this project examines the position of the Eastern Mediterranean within the Middle East regional security architecture through the lens of Regional Security Complex Theory. It explores regional instability, great-power competition, and the interaction between developments in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, with the aim of contributing to both academic research and policy-oriented analysis.

2. Oral History Project: Turkish Cypriot Political Elected Representatives, 1960–2018

This project documents the perspectives and experiences of Turkish Cypriot elected political representatives who participated in and shaped political processes between 1960 and 2018. Through the collection of first-hand accounts, the project contributes to the documentation and understanding of Turkish Cypriot political history.

3. The “Europe” Discourses of Political Parties in Northern Cyprus

This project examines the different understandings of “Europe” and the “European Union” articulated by mainstream Turkish Cypriot political parties. It explores how political parties framed Europeanisation, EU membership, the Cyprus problem, and related concepts including political settlement, peace, sovereignty, reform, and citizenship.

SELECTED RESEARCH REPORTS and POLICY ANALYSES

Over the years, the Near East Institute has produced a wide range of research reports, field analyses, assessment reports and policy-oriented studies addressing regional and international developments. These publications examine issues relating to Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and Europe through interdisciplinary perspectives, reflecting the Institute’s focus on connecting academic research with policy-relevant analysis.

The Institute’s published work has addressed themes including regional security, energy, international law, European politics, economic governance, electoral democracy, multilateralism and nuclear disarmament. Selected reports presented below illustrate the breadth of the Institute’s research agenda and its continuing contribution to informed academic and policy debate.

For more information on the Institute’s activities, visit yde.neu.edu.tr

For all enquiries: [email protected]

NEI: Research, Dialogue and Engagement