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Faculty Spotlight of the Month: Hayriye Kahveci

  1. Why "Political Science"?

METU NCC Political Science and International Relations Program combine two disciplines under the same umbrella. My contribution to the program is from the International Relations part. That is why I will answer the question as “why International Relations?” As an individual born in Cyprus due to its specific conditions diplomatic processes has always been an integral part of our lives. Sometimes to the extent that while it has no importance to many people living in other parts of the world people of my age can name the Secretary Generals of UN as if they are listing their family members. When I came to university age I decided to study International Relations in order to better understand Cyprus which is always referred to with the word “problem”.

  1. What are you working on now? (What is the topic? What is its main issue?)

Currently I am working on the issue of natural gas explorations in the Eastern Mediterranean and its impact in general on the region and specifically to Cyprus. The purpose of the study is to locate the oil and gas explorations in the region within a historical framework and to look at the impact of these processes on the geopolitical role of Cyprus in the region.

  1. What are your research interests? (Specific interests & focus topics...)

ü      What is the "Political Economy of Oil" ?

Political economy of oil is an interdisciplinary field combining several disciplines and mainly analyzed in two dimensions. The first dimension is relevant to the domestic political economic and social impact of hydrocarbon revenues on the oil producing states. On the other hand the second dimension is more relevant with the impact of hydrocarbon resources on regional and international power sharing.

ü      What is the state of art of these topics in scientific research?

In terms of state level analysis of political economy the scholarship had an initial emphasis on the Middle Eastern States and their institutional nature. With the increasing oil and gas discoveries in other parts of the world, such as Africa and Latin America, became under investigations. In the post Soviet environment Caspian region and states surrounding the sea also included into the scholarly debates. At the international relations level the discussion is mainly revolves around the issue of hegemonic relations over the production and sharing of oil and gas resources. Based on the empirical evidence provided by the area studies, relations and roles of states, markets and multinational corporations are being evaluated.

ü      Do you involve students in your research?

To the extent possible I try to involve students into my research. I am a firm believer in inclusion of undergraduate and graduate students into research in order to provide them with the opportunity to develop capacity and experience.

  1. How is TRNC for scientific research?

In terms of scientific research TRNC has both positive and negative sides. As for positive sides TRNC provides a wide variety of subjects for researcher and especially bearing in mind the lack of previous research. On the other hand, for the negative side, although developing the practice of supporting scientific research is very weak.

  1. Does METU NCC provide an infrastructure for the academic and scientific research? (What kind of infrastructure-labs, scientific or academic freedom, etc..)

When compared with many other universities METU NCC provides very good opportunities for researchers. In addition to technological infrastructure access to both METU libraries which is very fast in acquiring new materials is very important. In addition to these, research proposals are being financially supported through Campus Research Fund which is a plus.

  1. Why academic career?

Because I love being in university and learning new things.

  1. Tell us little about yourself? What hobby do you most enjoy? (What are your hobbies and interests?)

I love spending time with my family and friends. I think because of this I enjoy cooking and inviting people to my house.

  1. What do you most enjoy about your job?

One can learn new things in a university not only about academics but about life as well.

  1. If you weren’t academician, what would you be doing now?

I would open a small restaurant where dishes that I prepare will be served.