In honor of the late Sakip Sabanci, Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sabanci University, the Sakip Sabanci International Research Awards are given each year in the field of social sciences.
THIS YEAR’S THEME IS FUTURE OF MULTILATERALISM IN GLOBAL TURMOIL: RETHINKING SECURITY, ECONOMY, DEMOCRACY In the introduction of his 1993 book titled Out of Control, Global Turmoil on the Eve of the 21st Century, Zbigniew Brzezinski referred to “discontinuity” as “the central reality of our contemporary history.” Rising authoritarianisms in today’s world cast a shadow over what was presumably learned from the atrocities committed by the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. Global governance through international organizations is shadowed by reliance on unfettered predominance of markets as well as many national obstacles jeopardizing social justice and prospects of peace. International organizations that were formed in the aftermath of the Second World War in order to prevent wars, defend human rights, democracy, and rule of law on an international scale seem to be declining in the course of the past decade. National referandums terminating the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty for Europe as well as Brexit raised questions about the stability and endurance of the European Union. Efforts of the United Nations General Secretariat to resolve conflicts such as the Cyprus issue did not deliver the intended results. Council of Europe’s guidance for democratization especially through the Venice Commission did not find a following among the leaders of its member countries. Leaders and analysts declared the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as obsolete and defunct. Are international organizations really in decline? Is there still room for multilateralism in international politics or is unilateralism becoming the only game in the world? Can international organizations still be engaged in facing global challenges to security, economy, and democracy? What are the new challenges that Turkey is facing in these times of discontinuity and global turmoil? Innovative, original essays on such and related questions are welcome. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, January 15th, 2019.
The Sakip Sabanci International Research Award involves a Jury Prize of 25,000 USD. The Jury Prize will be awarded to an individual who has made distinguished contributions on the above-mentioned theme. An independent and international jury will select the Awardee. In addition to the Jury Prize, Essay Awards will be given to researchers under 45 years of age. This category includes 10,000 USD for each of the three award-winning essays selected by the same jury from among submitted essays.
