Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Departments of Political Science and International Relations (Turkish and English), were included in the accreditation process by the Social, Humanities and Basic Sciences Accreditation and Rating Association (STAR). Within the scope of the process carried out to evaluate the faculty's educational quality's compliance with national and international standards, comprehensive inspections were conducted for two days.
The program started with an opening meeting held in the Kuzguncuk Hall of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Attending the meeting were Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations (Turkish) Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Arslan, Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations (English) Assistant Professor Fehmi Ağca, Rector's Advisor Responsible for Quality Lecturer Serdar Karagöz, Quality Manager İlknur Güzel and her team, faculty academics, and the STAR accreditation team.
During the evaluation process, various presentations were made regarding the department and faculty structure. The STAR team conducted comprehensive interviews with academics, administrative staff, and students, carrying out a broad analysis of educational quality.
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak: “We see accreditation efforts as an opportunity”
Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak delivered a comprehensive informational presentation about the faculty within the program. Providing information on the faculty's academic structure, curriculum's compliance with current needs, student support mechanisms, and ongoing quality improvement efforts, Kaynak stated the following in her speech:
“We view accreditation efforts not merely as an evaluation process, but as a significant opportunity that strengthens our institutional development. As a faculty, we are continuously innovating and developing to align our educational activities with national and international standards. The review conducted by STAR is highly valuable both for highlighting our strengths and for identifying areas open to improvement.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Arslan: “We prioritize offering a strong academic framework”
Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations (Turkish) Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Arslan emphasized that accreditation is a critical step in increasing the international visibility of educational programs. Arslan stated; “As the Political Science and International Relations department, we prioritize offering a strong academic framework from both theoretical and practical perspectives. We aim for our students to possess the skills to be competitive on a global scale. This evaluation conducted by STAR serves as an important guide for us to improve our quality standards and enhance our international visibility.”
Assistant Professor Fehmi Ağca: “We aim to develop analytical thinking skills”
Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations (English) Assistant Professor Fehmi Ağca provided information on the academic structure of the department within the evaluation program. Ağca stated that the English curriculum is structured in compliance with international standards. Ağca said; “Our department has a strong English curriculum that aims to develop students' analytical thinking skills in the field of global politics. We continuously update our course content and teaching methods to align with international academic standards.”
Accreditation process progressed with intensive discussions
The STAR team conducted on-site inspections of the academic activities carried out at the faculty, observing in detail topics such as;
- Course contents,
- Assessment and evaluation methods,
- Quality assurance mechanisms, and
- Practices related to student experience.
Comprehensive data on the functioning of educational processes was collected through interviews with academic staff, students, and administrative units.
Closing report presented
At the end of the two-day evaluation, the STAR team presented the closing report, containing their observations and findings, at a meeting held with the participation of the faculty management, department heads, and academics.
During the meeting, a general framework was shared regarding the departments' strengths, areas open to improvement, and their level of compliance with quality standards.
It was stated that the official results of the accreditation process would be announced after the final decision of the evaluation board.