Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) held the online conference “The International Conference on the Middle East and North Africa: Pheno-MENA (MENA)” (International Middle East and North Africa – ODKA Conference), organised in cooperation with the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) and with the participation of universities and think tanks from 11 countries, where steps to improve peace, security and stability in the Middle East and North Africa region were discussed.
The conference was coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Aslan, faculty member of the HKU Department of Political Science and International Relations, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Pelin Aliyev. The opening speeches were delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Aslan and SETA General Coordinator Prof. Dr. Burhanettin Duran.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, HKU faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Aslan underlined the search for lasting peace and stability in the region, while Prof. Dr. Burhanettin Duran summarised the latest developments in the Middle East and North Africa and drew attention to the fragility of the region.
The conference consisted of four panels in total and addressed the question ‘Is the MENA region moving towards long-term stability?’. It discussed the challenges that are the source of instability in the region, the concrete steps that can be taken for regional prosperity to be achieved smoothly, and the contradictions experienced at the regional or global level in addressing the problems faced by the Middle East.
In the first panel, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Keser, Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Hind Kabawat, Prof. Dr. Magdalena Kumelska-Koniecko, Amina Khan, Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Filis and Dr. Ammar Al Qadi discussed ‘The Sources of Instability in the North Africa and Middle East Region (MENA)’. In the second panel, moderated by Prof. Dr. Yücel Acer, Prof. Dr. Patrice Brodeur, Dr. Samir M. Saifan, Ambassador Prof. Dr. Heinrich Kreft, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Keser and doctoral student Müjgan Güneş examined ‘The Challenges in the MENA Region’ in depth.
In the third panel, in which Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Aslan served as both moderator and speaker, Romanian Ambassador Doru Costea and Prof. Dr. Murat Yeşiltaş focused on ‘The Contradictions of Contemporary Political Thought in Addressing the Middle East’.
In the final panel, moderated by Asst. Prof. Dr. Pelin Aliyev, scientific studies carried out in the Political Science and International Relations Department of the HKU Graduate Education Institute were also presented.
