Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak has been deemed worthy of the International Society of Political Psychology's (ISPP) 2026 Nevitt Sanford Award.
The award is planned to be presented to Prof. Kaynak in July at an international congress hosted by Newcastle University.
Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, has been honored with one of the world's prestigious academic awards. This year, Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak has been deemed worthy of the International Society of Political Psychology's (ISPP) 2026 Nevitt Sanford Award. The Nevitt Sanford Award is one of the most prestigious awards in academia and is given to honor lasting and transformative contributions to the field of political psychology.
Established in 1978, the ISPP, which brings together academics and experts worldwide, is recognized as the most important international platform examining the psychological foundations of political behavior. The society also guides the theoretical and applied development of the field through its annual conferences and the journal 'Political Psychology'.
The ISPP Nevitt Sanford Award has previously been given to leading figures in the field such as Ralf Dahrendorf, Vamık D. Volkan, Ole Holsti, Jerrold Post, Robert Jervis, Philip E. Tetlock, and Margaret G. Hermann. In this respect, the award serves as a strong reference, acknowledging not only academic output but also intellectual influence and interdisciplinary contributions.
Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak's work stands out for its approach that intersects international relations with political psychology. This perspective, which interprets political developments not solely through power balances but also through perception, identity, and collective memory, offers a new analytical framework for understanding today's complex crises, in particular.
This award is also an important threshold for the international visibility of studies conducted in the field of political psychology in Turkey. Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak will be presented with the award in July at a major congress to be held at the University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom.
Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak currently serves as the director of Üsküdar University's Center for Political Psychology and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Prof. Kaynak continued her academic work in Conflict Resolution as a senior member of Oxford University's CRIC Centre between 2015 and 2025.
Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak continues her international work within IDI (International Dialogue Initiative), an international, multidisciplinary group comprising psychoanalysts, academics, diplomats, and other professionals who bring a psychological perspective to the study and amelioration of societal conflict. Prof. Kaynak is also a member of the TÜBA International Relations Working Group and the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS).
