The Center for Research on Globalization, Peace, and Democratic Governance (GLODEM Center) is an academic and policy oriented research center based at Koc University, Istanbul.

GLODEM was established in September 2004 as an informal faculty network. Its creators designed the Center to address globalization’s impact on the dynamics and development of national and international political and economic interactions.

GLODEM became a formal organization in 2010 following approval by the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YOK).

GLODEM has three areas of expertise, the second of which is recently introduced:

• Globalization and political economy
• Peace and conflict resolution
• Democratic governance and administration

These three areas of expertise are interrelated, with its members strategically applying knowledge and skill sets from each as appropriate.

GLODEM members adeptly apply their leading expertise to the complexities of domestic and international economic and political interactions. They and the Center address these interactions from the primary perspective of theory, policies, applied strategies, and existing realities.

GLODEM’s Ten Year Anniversary

In its tenth year of operation, GLODEM continues to examine the impact of globalization on political, economic, and social processes as well as outcomes.

This anniversary year represents an important marker in GLODEM’s organizational development. Already this year, GLODEM expanded its areas of expertise. It is also broadening the depth and breadth of its activity portfolios, methodological and project management approaches, interdisciplinary and inter-organization partnerships, and targeted objectives as well as outcomes.

Broadened Specialization

The GLODEM Center broadened its scope with the adoption of peace and conflict resolution as its third area of expertise.

GLODEM’s adoption of this expertise speaks to the critical issues of peace and security in the Turkish neighborhood, the MENA region, and the greater international system. GLODEM’s specialization within this expertise includes issues of the quality and durability of peace; security conditions; conflict management and resolution; and processes of disarmament and reintegration. Expertise in peace and conflict resolution is especially important as Türkiye increasingly seeks the role of international negotiator.

This third area of expertise is not mutually exclusive to GLODEM’s original expertise. Instead, it compliments and is applied in conjunction with GLODEM’s globalization and democratic governance expertise. Examples of this complementarity include analysis such as the political economy of peace and conflict as well as the evolution of governing structures in the contexts of peace and conflict.

Innovative Partnerships

GLODEM is increasing attention to collaboration with other specialists and organizations sharing its areas of expertise. in the past, GLODEM sought close relationships with domestic and foreign academics and universities. GLODEM still values these relationships. However, GLODEM now seeks new and innovative partnerships that will enhance the Center’s relevance to, and impact on, the communities associated with its areas of expertise. These partnerships include public agencies, private enterprises and business associations, other research organizations, civil society organizations, and international organizations.

There are remarkable steps that GLODEM has taken in years, in order to enhance the Center’s impact on the communities including GLODEM became a partner of the UK’s top political economy research institute, Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI) and GLODEM became an International Institutional Member, also referred to as Sponsor, of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis (JCPA) and the International Comparative Policy Analysis Forum (ICPA- Forum).

Diversified Objectives

GLODEM maintains its unique measures of excellence by diversifying its objectives and related approaches. This diversification includes increased attention to public and foreign policy activities. Such activities include the identification and qualification of policy needs, contribution to policy debates, and development of value-added policy recommendations. 

GLODEM continues its organizational development according to the framework established by the following vision, mission, and objective statements.

 

GLODEM Vision

The GLODEM Center Vision is to become an internationally recognized center specialized in value-added academic research and policy analysis related to globalization, peace, and democratic governance.

 

GLODEM Mission

The GLODEM Center Mission is to create, apply, and disseminate knowledge relevant to globalization, peace, and democratic governance in working partnership with academia as well as public, private, and civil society organizations utilizing:

• Theoretical, empirical, and social science methods of analysis
• Multi-level and multi-actor analysis
• Inter-disciplinary collaboration and analysis

GLODEM Objectives

The Center engages organizations of all sectors (academic, public, private, and civil society) on priority issues of globalization, peace, and democratic governance in order to:

• Enrich academic research
• Facilitate academic debate by means of public, high-level discussions between members of the university community, national public institutions, private sector entities, civil society organizations, and international organizations
• Identify and qualify policy needs, contribute to policy debates, and provide value-added policy recommendations relevant to public and private institutions as well as civil society organizations.
• Conduct research and data collection on issues relevant to public institutions’ policy adoption and application, private entities’ strategy development, and civil society organizations’ initiatives