Acting Chairman

Ambassador Dr. Hasan ULUSOY

Chairman’s Message

In today's age of information, the production and management of information has become a key element that makes the difference for all individuals, societies and organizations, particularly for states. In this context, the importance of active and efficient communication and coordination between producers of information and decision makers is obvious.

Corollary to this need, the Center for Strategic Research (SAM), established in 1995 as a research center under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serves as a bridge between the Ministry and the academia/research institutes related to international relations and foreign policy. Under the guidance and support of our Minister, we work with the mission of being a center where diplomacy, together with academia, meets knowledge, and is shared in a synthesis. We aim to diversify and increase our services in the upcoming period.

In 2023, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Republic. 2023 is also meaningful due to the fact that it is the 500th anniversary of the establishment of our foreign service. It is an invaluable privilege for me to hold this important responsibility in such a period. As the SAM team, we will try to contribute to and further current activities and events.

We attach importance to the cooperation with Turkish and foreign academics, our think-tank counterparts, universities, researchers and Turkish public institutions.

It is a great honor for us that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Internship Program, run by SAM, was awarded in 2022 as "the institution with the highest intern satisfaction”. Our internship programs help our young people better set their future goals by getting acquainted with the Turkish MFA and Turkish foreign policy.

We are also one of the partners of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which brings together various sectors related to diplomacy, and has become a global brand. We believe that bringing leaders and bureaucrats together with academics and students provides a unique opportunity.

Furthermore, we believe that our diplomacy simulations held in our internship program and in universities offer new horizons to our students. We will give more focus on our contacts with universities, student communities, and counterparts in the upcoming period, after leaving behind the pandemic conditions.

The peer-reviewed, academic and periodical journal "Perceptions” and the "SAM Papers", issued on special topics, both of which are published by our center, draw great interest among those interested in foreign policy and international relations in Türkiye and abroad. Two books, prepared with the contributions of numerous experts in the field on the impact of the pandemic on international relations, have made a significant contribution to the intellectual world. We will try to produce more publications that offer different perspectives on current topics in the upcoming period as well. We always welcome written contributions from Turkish and foreign academics, researchers, and experts to our publications.

Finally, I would like to emphasize that we, as a research center, are open to all valuable opinions and comments of yours.

Kind regards,
Ambassador Dr. Hasan Ulusoy
Chairman

Short Bio

In his diplomatic career of 32 years, Ambassador Dr. Hasan Ulusoy served abroad in various diplomatic missions, in Nigeria, Iran, Italy, Switzerland and twice at the Council of Europe at different rankings. Since 2012 he has served as ambassador in Niger, Bulgaria and Belgium respectively. Ambassador Ulusoy worked at the headquarter in departments related to bilateral relations with European countries, NATO and Council of Europe/human rights.

During his last post at the headquarter between 2015 and 2017 as the DG for multilateral political affairs he also served as co-rapporteur of the UN Secretary General on the reform of UNRWA and as coordinator of the UN World Humanitarian Summit held in Türkiye.

As to his academic background, Ambassador Dr. Ulusoy is the holder of BA in public administration from Istanbul University, Faculty of Political Sciences; MSc from the London School of Economics (LSE) in European studies and PhD from the Middle East Technical University of Ankara on the identity of the Turkish foreign policy. Additionally, he carried out graduate studies at the university of Oslo and a training at the NATO Defence College in his career.

Having lectured at universities Ambassador Dr. Ulusoy is also the author of various articles, book chapters and a book. His areas of interest and expertise include social constructivism in IR, security studies, human rights and humanitarian affairs.

Ambassador Dr. Ulusoy speaks Turkish (native), English and French professionally. He also knows German and Norwegian at intermediate and basic levels respectively.