Yaşar University Center for Mediterranean Studies was established by Ambassador (Ret.) Ertuğrul Apakan in October 2013. Since its establishment, it has been serving as a platform among stakeholders who have produced ideas on the Mediterranean Basin.
In the first years of its establishment, it mainly carried out activities and research related to international relations and regional dynamics. Center for Mediterranean Studies has expanded its research areas and interdisciplinary studies in the following years.
It has demonstrated its contributions to cooperation in the Mediterranean region and has conducted research and studies in this direction. With this understanding, it is planned to give priority to sustainable development goals, economic inequality, climate change, food security, demography, and women in the Mediterranean basin.
The center’s main field of activity is to conduct research, examination, and application studies on the political, economic, historical, artistic, cultural, archaeological, and social issues of the region defined as the Mediterranean basin (Aegean, the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa) and the countries of the region, with national and international dimensions. and to create and carry out interdisciplinary projects in these fields. In addition, since the day it was founded, it has been established to cooperate with national and international organizations, to encourage and organize joint studies, to organize conferences, congresses, workshops, and other scientific meetings, to make periodic or non-periodical publications on the subject at the end of the research, examination and application studies, to solve problems related to work areas. and continues to produce working reports and bulletins on solution proposals.
Collaboration protocols with national/international universities and civil/public institutions and organizations are prepared and academic activities and publications related to the field of activity are made within the center, which consists of the Director, Board of Directors, Advisory Board, Experts, and part-time project assistants. In this context, with national and international collaborations, various projects have been completed and various national/international projects are ongoing, especially within the framework of political science, climate crisis, environmental protection, and sustainability. In addition to academic outputs, researchers are trained through related projects. In addition, part-time students are employed in the center, they are guided in research and examination issues, and their career development is supported.
The United Nations Global Compact, based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, was signed under the leadership of the Center for Mediterranean Studies, which continues to work in coordination with the other academic and administrative units of Yaşar University. In line with these studies, The Communication of Engagement (COE) Reports is prepared on behalf of Yaşar University. In the future, it is planned to establish, develop and execute courses, certificates, and training programs, to increase the number of projects and publications, and to further develop the national/international cooperation network.