Political scientist Prof. Fuat Keyman has passed away at the age of 65. Keyman had been receiving treatment for cancer for a while.
Keyman was a distinguished figure in Turkey’s academia, serving as vice president of Sabancı University and Director of the İstanbul Policy Center. He was also a member of the Science Academy of Turkey.
His academic work focused on several areas including democratization, globalization, international relations, Turkey-EU relations, Turkish foreign policy, and the development of civil society. His contributions spanned both academic and policy circles.
Keyman also played a role in the “peace process” initiated by the government in the early 2010s, serving as a member of the Wise People’s Committee. He served on the advisory boards of numerous national and international organizations and was part of the editorial boards of several international academic journals.
Academic life
Keyman graduated from the Middle East Technical University (METU) with a degree in Political Science and Public Administration in 1981. He then completed his master’s degree in the same field.
In 1984, Keyman pursued his PhD studies in Canada, conducting research in international relations and comparative politics at Carleton University, where he also briefly taught.
Upon returning to Turkey, Keyman began teaching at various universities. From 1994 to 2002, he served as a professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Bilkent University, followed by a position in the International Relations Department at Koç University from 2002 to 2010. He later joined Sabancı University, where he was appointed vice president.
Keyman also completed postdoctoral research at Wellesley College and Harvard University. He received numerous prestigious grants from the EU Framework Program and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. His research projects included leading initiatives such as “Multiple Globalizations” with Peter Berger and Samuel Huntington, and the “Mapping of Civil Society in Turkey” project.
Keyman conducted extensive research on social and political trends in Turkey, urban transformation in Anatolian cities, and the challenges of cohabitation in diverse societies. He authored and edited over 20 books and published numerous articles in internationally renowned journals, including Third World Quarterly, Journal of Democracy, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, European Journal of Social Theory, and Review of International Political Economy. (VK)
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