Görkem Atsungur: "I strongly believe in AUCA students"

January 25, 2016

Görkem Atsungur has been an assistant professor in the European Studies Department since 2012. Atsungur shares with us his journey to AUCA and some of the work he has done since.

Tell us about yourself and your career path.

I studied International Relations at Cyprus International University. After graduating, I went to Turkey and studied European Studies in a Master’s program at Istanbul Bilgi University (in partnership with Leiden University in the Netherlands). After my first Master’s, I went to the Czech Republic and got my second master’s in Political Science and European Politics from Masaryk University. Then, I started a Ph.D. program in Political Science and International Relations at Yeditepe University in Turkey.

My goal is to become a faculty member at one of the leading universities. AUCA is the right place to achieve my dreams. I want to continue my career as an academic. This is my fourth year teaching at AUCA and I really enjoy being here. Since day one, my colleagues have trusted me and given me many responsibilities without any doubt. Thanks to the ES Department Head, Dr. Liubov Jdanova, the quality of my academic work quality has improved a lot over these four years. Also, with the great support of my colleagues, Andrew Wachtel, Elida Nogoiabeva, Bermet Tursunkulova, Elena Kim, and Anguelina Popova, I have had many opportunities to increase my teaching skills during this period.

I chose to work at AUCA because of the academic freedom and intellectual liberty afforded here. AUCA has a liberal arts education and an inter-disciplinary education system. I teach more than eight different courses: Modern Europe, European Integration and External Relations, Multicultural Societies: Religious and Social Conflicts in Europe, Research Methods, Identity-Nation State-Europeanization, Extremism and Democracy in Europe, Introduction to European Security, and European Government Systems.

My teaching methodology is “agree to disagree.” There is no black or white for me. I enjoy interactive classes. Students should express their own opinion without hesitation. I am not looking for concrete “truths.”  I welcome all opinions without any doubt – as long as they are scientific. I want a “rainbow’’ in my classes. Every idea is welcomed and respected. I want my students to engage in critical thinking and express themselves freely. They should not blindly believe whatever I say. They need to criticize and think about it and they should have their own positions and opinions at the end.

 

Tell us more about your academic achievements over the past two years. What have you been working on?

In 2015, I presented four academic papers in Germany, Finland, Turkey, and Kyrgyzstan. These are: “Global Citizenship in Theory and Practice” at Bard College Berlin, “Rethinking Russian Nationalism Since 1990s” at the University of Helsinki - Aleksanteri Institute, “The EU and Central Asia” at AUCA VI Annual International Anthropology Conference, and “Urban Space as Visual Text in Serbia” at Bard Network meeting in Istanbul. Moreover, I attended four summer schools and advanced training courses in 2015. I studied “Late Socialism” at the Tallinn University, “National Identity in Europe and in Russia” at the Central European University, “Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building Skills” at Coventry University, and “Cooperative Solutions to Critical Security Issues in the Black Sea Region” at NATO in Georgia.

In 2014, I went to Germany, Belgium, Russia, and the United Kingdom for academic purposes. I presented six academic papers; “Human Security: A Gender Approach” at AUCA, “Russia’s Rebirth as a weak parliamentary or strong authoritarian presidential system” at Goethe University, “Human Security in Bosnia-Herzegovina” at University of Surrey, “The Philosophical Debate on Russian Choice of Democracy” at University of Nottingham, “The Politics of Religion in Russia” at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), and “The Social Impacts of the Economic Adjustment Program in Cyprus” at Université Libre de Bruxells. Furthermore, I studied at Humboldt University and Bielefeld University in Germany. I attended summer courses: “Crisis and Future of the European Union” and “Broadcasting the Americas: Academic Reflections and Media Practice on Politics and Culture.”

In addition, the past two years, I have been involved in two international projects in Norway and in Kyrgyzstan. I was part of the NMBU-AUCA Partnership in Education and Research on International Development and Sustainability Project in 2014, and the International Project of Study on Security Cooperation in the Heart of Asia Region, at ATR Consulting in 2015. We published our country’s report.

I have been invited as a visitor scholar by Tubingen University – Political Science department for June-July 2016. I will spend two months in Germany and attend the departmental activities. I think this is the first AUCA faculty exchange with Tubingen University. At the end of January 2016, I am going to Bard College to present two papers (Youth Politics in Russia and Human Rights Critiques from Post-Colonial Perspective) in two Human Rights Workshops.

In the coming years, I want to propose a few new courses, namely “Global Citizenship and Intergroup Empathy,” “Russian Politics and Society since 1990s,” “Political Psychology,” and “Gender Politics.” 

I have been trying to implement new techniques in learning and teaching. This is why I propose new skills in my courses, especially in visual literacy such as preparing broadcasting, academic posters, blogs, and other activities. For non-JMCs students, it is very hard to prepare broadcasting projects and academic posters. At the beginning of the semester, I fought a lot with my students and I pushed them a lot, but at the end of the semester, they were really happy to follow Western standards of teachings techniques. This year, in my course Multicultural Societies, my students prepare video projects related to the Syrian Refugee Crisis. I try to include awareness, responsibility and civic engagement in my courses. I strongly believe that all courses at AUCA should include these core concepts either directly or indirectly.

 

What is unique about your department?

What is unique in my department? A European Studies Program at the American University in Central Asia! It is already so unique. We are the only European Studies department in Central Asia with liberal arts and critical-thinking education. Like many other departments at AUCA, my department has also multi-disciplinary approach and you will have a great chance to study from different angles such as politics, society, culture, and history. Whatever you study, somehow you study about Europe. Can you imagine history without Europe? Can you imagine physics without Europe? Of course, I am not orientalist but Europe plays crucial role in every aspects of the world and we should understand its vital position. Moreover, ES is the only department that you can study some content courses in a second language rather than English. I believe that our department has really strong instructors in their specialization. I am sure new professor of ES Ian Gorog will also bring new momentum in our department. We are one of the smallest department but our courses have always full of students. I think it is better to ask students why they think that European Studies as a unique at AUCA and choose courses from our department.

 

What sets AUCA students apart?

When I started to teach in Kyrgyzstan, other universities in Bishkek have offered me employment opportunities at many times. Once, I decided to be a part time instructor in other university in Bishkek. At the end, it was so difficult for me to finish the semester and I decided not to continue teaching at any other university. I am the only Turkish faculty member at AUCA. It would be very easy for me to teach at other universities, but I prefer being at AUCA.

AUCA students in general are open-minded and hard working. It does not mean that I have never faced difficult situations. I had to overcome some bad situations. But I am a powerful enough person not to care about these people. I never give up and I can overcome all difficulties by myself for as long as I want. Apart from my teaching position, I am involved in many administrative roles such as the chair of the SILC, the Academic Senate, teaching during Orientation Week, the Exchange Semester Committee, the Admission Exam Committee, etc. Through those roles, I know almost every AUCA student. I strongly believe in AUCA students. They will change many things over our lives. I want to thank all AUCA students because they also teach us everyday.

AUCA’s motto is to prepare new leaders for the democratic transformation of the region; European Studies has a lot of potential for this role. Kyrgyzstan, as a part of Eurasian Economic Union, will need some experts on European Integration since it is a role model for a customs union with Russia. I believe that European Studies will be a very important department in the region in the near future. ES professors will achieve this goal.

 

What kind of opportunities does AUCA afford its students after graduation?

Education, Education, and once more Education! What could be a better opportunity than education? We prepare our students to catch up to European standards and they have no difficulties enrolling in Master’s programs in Europe or finding a good job at an international organization.

Finally, I want to wish AUCA students good luck. I hope they are very successful in life. Believe in yourselves and never give up! Do not be afraid of falling. Fall down, and try again. I want to conclude my interview with my favorite quote: “Jeder ist seines Gluckes Schmied” which can be translated into English as “Every person is the architect of his own fortune.”

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