Seda Gurkan

Seda Gürkan is a lecturer at Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences and the European Studies Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles - ULB, where she teaches master-level courses including institutions of the European Union, policy-making in the European Union, external relations of the EU and doctoral course on theory and methodology in Political Science. She is a graduate of London School of Economics and Université libre de Bruxelles. She was a research fellow at Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), The Center for Transatlantic Relations in Washington DC. Her research interests include Turkey-EU relations, Turkish politics, Europeanisation and European integration theories.

She has ten year professional experience in multilateral diplomacy and European affairs. Prior to joining ULB, she served as NATO officer (member of NATO International Staff) at NATO Headquarters in Brussels at the cabinet of Assistant Secretary General between 2006 and 2012. There she worked on political-military affairs, security and defence issues, including missile defence, cyber defence and counter-terrorism. She had previously also worked at the Club of Madrid in Spain and at the Representation Office of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD) in Brussels as a political advisor on the external relations of the EU and Turkey-EU relations.

She is also graduate of Diplomatic School of Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Madrid, Spain). She is a scholar of German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and Atlantik Brücke Young Leaders Program Alumni. She holds Jean Monnet award offered by the European Commission. Mrs. Gürkan was a Robert Schuman Scholar at the European Parliament, Directorate General for Committees and Delegations, Enlargement section (Brussels) in 2003. She offered senior courses on international relations and international security at NATO Defence College (Rome, Italy) and NATO School in Oberammergau (Germany). Mrs. Gurkan received NATO research award with her research project on NATO-Turkey relations. Mrs. Gürkan is a former American Field Service (AFS) scholar and she holds an Art Diploma from Rome, Italy. She speaks Turkish (native), English, French, Italian and Spanish (all fluent).