PUBLIC PANEL : LOCAL KNOWLEDGES AND INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTIONS : WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE LOCAL TURN?

We will host a public panel on the topic of “Local Knowledges and International Interventions: What’s Next for the ‘Local Turn’?”. 

 Amidst profound shifts in the international system affecting norms, the balance of power and the rules-based international order, what comes next for the progressive policy agenda heralded by the United Nations and champions of liberal internationalism over the last 30+ years? Despite a wealth of evidence that local ownership and local knowledges are essential for the effectiveness, legitimacy and sustainability of international interventions and programs, the political environment has perhaps never been so restrictive to their inclusion. As international organizations grapple with declining budgets, credibility, and political will, what will happen to the ‘local turn’?

Our esteemed panelists will be Katharina Coleman, PhD (Professor of International Relations, University of British Columbia), Annika Hansen, PhD (Deputy Team Leader of Policy, Partnerships and Innovation Team, ZIF Berlin), Albagir Adam (Chief of Civil Affairs, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), and Haldun Yalçinkaya, PhD (Coordinator of Bodrum Institute and Professor of International Relations, TOBB University). This panel will be moderated by Katelyn Cassin (Assistant Professor of International Relations at ÖzyeğinUniversity).

 This panel will be held at ÖzÜ-X B027, January 15, 2026 from 14:30-16:00. It will be advertised to the Faculty of Social Sciences, but open to the university at large.