COVID-19 has deeply affected the order, priorities and practices of individuals, societies, the public and the international system. The way individuals work has changed, while home/remote working models have become widespread worldwide, especially for white-collar workers, and occupational health and safety issues have come to the fore. The measures taken to protect the health of the societies brought up the questions of the balance between freedoms and public interest and the changes in public administration were discussed. While the policies and practices that maintain the domestic order of the states have changed, priorities have also changed in their foreign policies. While systemic changes have made new cost-benefit analyzes necessary, the importance of cooperation between states has increased and protectionist policies have been implemented. In this panel, considering all these changes, the effects of the pandemic on business life, public order, state and interstate relations will be examined, and how the lives of individuals, societies, states and international relations will be shaped in the future will be discussed.

Moderator:

Çiğdem Üstün, Assoc. Prof., International Relations Department, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Nişantaşı University

Speakers:

Özge Berber Agtaş, Senior Program Manager, International Labor Organization (ILO) Turkey Office Mete Yıldız, Prof. Dr., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Hacettepe University 
Meltem Müftüler-Baç, Prof. Dr., Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sabancı University

Many institutions and habits established with the Industrial Revolution have either underwent changes over time or have given signals for change. However, thanks to computers and portable smart devices, various applications have been affecting every aspect of life in the Information Age we live in. The impact of the Information Revolution are already felt in many areas from education to working conditions. It is expected to have an impact on “politics” as well.

In this context, the panel will discuss the effectiveness of the society against the state in the Information Age and also how the pandemic has accelerated its impact on societies. The main question the panel will seek to be answer is whether today’s democracies established by J. J. Rousseau’s “Social Contract” will be affected and what kind of change they may be exposed to.

Moderator:

Haldun Yalçınkaya, Prof. Dr., Department of Political Science and International Relations, TOBB University of Economics and Technology

Speakers:

Sinan Ülgen, Head of Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, EDAM
Mehmet Akşit, Prof. Dr., Department of Computer Engineering, TOBB University of Economics and Technology
Bican Şahin, Prof. Dr., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Hacettepe University

Since the Second World War period, the COVID-19 crisis emerges as a phenomenon pregnant with long-term consequences by affecting countries, international structures, companies and even processes, as well as individuals, which have had the most widespread impact on a global scale and directly affected. In this respect, it brings with it many security problems that are difficult to define comprehensively. The pandemic has forced people, companies and states to shut down by prioritizing the security of individuals as well as states and international organizations. This situation has led to a significant increase in digitalization and remote working practices in every field. In the panel to be held in this framework, the effects of the pandemic on security will be discussed in detail in the context of individuals, the state/organization and new security practices, together with expert speakers.

Moderator:

Haluk Karadağ, Dr., Department of Political Science and International Relations, Başkent University

Speakers:

Alpaslan Özerdem, Prof. Dr., Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University 
Rabia Karakaya Polat, Prof. Dr., Department of International Relations, Işık University
Cenk Şen, C-Level Executive, Space Agency Board Member

Starting from the first day of its emergence, the COVID-19 epidemic has deeply felt its impact in all areas of life. In this panel, which will be held within the scope of the Global Academy speeches series, the events experienced during the epidemic process, in which countries experienced first-hand the effects of health, economy and security, as well as social and political, will be discussed in the triangle of politics, media and society. In this context, how the pandemic is managed by the decision makers, whether the pandemic is used as a tool in politics, the importance of traditional and new media in the pandemic process, the roles of the media in the pandemic, fake news about the pandemic in the world and Turkey in super-truth societies, the struggle of science and non-science, etc. will be discussed in detail. With the participation of experts in the field, the relationship between politics, media and society will be examined mutually.

Moderator:

Cihan Dizdaroğlu, Dr., Department of Political Science and International Relations, Başkent University

Speakers:

Afşin Yurdakul, Journalist
Berk Esen, Dr., Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sabancı University
Suncem Koçer, Assoc. Prof., Faculty of Communication, Kadir Has University

As the COVID-19 epidemic leaves a year behind, it has begun to question international financial balances and the dynamics of globalization. The circulation of people, goods and services brought about by globalization is increasingly restricted in this process. With the increased health expenditures due to the pandemic, countries are experiencing a decline in their economic growth rates. Countries’ trade levels are falling and public expenditures are increasing. In addition, COVID-19 is causing many people to be unemployed and exacerbating existing economic inequalities. While all this is happening, the roles of international institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF are also becoming questionable. After the global economic crisis in 2008, the problems created by COVID-19 also accelerate the discussions about the end of globalization. The increasing protectionist approach and the trade wars that started with China in the US President Trump period have begun to change the international economic balances. In this context, within the scope of the Global Academy speeches titled “The Effects of the Pandemic on Globalization and the International Economy”, the problems caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in the dynamics of globalization and the balance of the national economies will be discussed.

Moderator:

Sinem Akgül Açıkmeşe, Prof. Dr., Department of International Relations, Kadir Has University

Speakers:

Özgür Orhangazi, Prof. Dr., Department of Economics, Kadir Has University
Ebru Voyvoda, Prof. Dr., Department of Economics, Middle East Technical University
Serdar Sayan, Prof. Dr., Department of Economics, TOBB University of Economics and Technology

The COVID-19 pandemic affects every aspect of life in 2020 and creates question marks in all areas of the future. But some of these worries stem from our memory deceiving us. Namely; With the twentieth century, the reflection of the developments in science and technology in our daily life and the comfort it created made us forget many struggles in history. One of them is epidemic diseases and their effects on daily life. History has the capacity to convey to us past experiences of what the world will be like after COVID-19, and thanks to these experiences, we have the opportunity to be very optimistic or more realistic. In this panel, the effects of epidemics throughout history in the world, in Turkey and in the war zones will be discussed with the experts and the lessons learned will be brought to the agenda again.

Moderator:

Haldun Yalçınkaya, Prof. Dr., Department of Political Science and International Relations, TOBB ETU

Speakers:

Gulten Dinc, Prof. Dr., Department of History of Medicine and Ethics, IU Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine
Burcu Kurt, Assoc. Prof., Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Istanbul Technical University
Adnan Atac, Prof. Dr., Department of Basic Medical Sciences, History of Medicine and Ethics, Lokman Hekim University