Institute of Area Studies

I am Begüm Gün, a graduate of Karadeniz Technical University, Department of International Relations. I am a master’s with thesis student in the Department of African Studies at the Institute of Regional Studies at Social Sciences University of Ankara. The Master's Program with African Studies thesis was established in 2018 within the Institute of Regional Studies and aims to train regional experts. Regional studies focus on the sociocultural, political and economic aspects of the region. In general, courses on the sociocultural structure of Africa such as African Political History, Africa in World Politics, Religion in Africa – Political Movements, as well as language courses such as English and Arabic are also offered. The subject of the theses are usually determined according to the undergraduate expertise of the students and the areas in which the students want to specialize. Since it is a multidisciplinary field, the student’s interests are important, so the subjects are decided accordingly. When we graduate, we can work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which operates on the African Continent or as regional experts, National Societies, public institutions and organizations such as TIKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency), as well as non-governmental organizations. The reason I chose this program is to specialize in a different continent after completing my bachelor's degree in International Relations. The reason I chose Social Sciences University of Ankara is that it is one of the few universities where I can specialize in the Field of Regional Studies. In addition, I also chose it for the easy commute and on campus activities. I benefited the most from the academic staff. All the lecturers at the institute are both very humble and hardworking, in order to help their students. I can also say that I benefited greatly from the library at the institute. After graduating, I would like to carry on with my education at the Doctorate program of the institute. I recommend you to develop your language skills and follow the international agenda as much as possible to the candidates who will choose this program and university. I wish success to all the candidates who will take the university exam.