On 20-21 April 2015, MAXCAP Partner Institution Sabanci University held its Young Researchers Workshop in Istanbul. The workshop focused on EU-related issues such as formation of public opinion and discourses in the EU, EU enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy as well as Europeanization tools and the convergence across various policy areas. Providing a platform for PhD students and young researches from various institutions to present their research and gather feedback from all participants, the workshop was an invaluable resource for the advancement and development of their research goals. Coming from multiple research traditions and backgrounds, all participants were able to provide their opinions and assist their fellow colleagues in areas of their own focus.

Additionally, the Workshop offered several training sessions. Firstly, Dr. Brooke Luetgert of Sabanci University presented on “Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies and their complementary role in researching EU enlargement”. Dr. Luetgert focused on the importance of mixed methods research as a tool to advance the study of EU enlargement. In a following training session, Dr. Arzu Kibris of Sabanci University spoke about the usage and applications of game theoretical models in the analysis of EU enlargement. Dr. Kibris provided empirical evidence with data from the EU to support her game theoretical model. Lastly, Dr. Dimiter Toshkov of University of Leiden presented on “Explanations, Causality and Design-based Inference in Political Science.” Dr. Toshkov spoke about the importance of carefully selecting variables and dissecting the relationships between them in the process of producing a rigorous research design for issues concerning political science.

The Young Researchers Workshop provided Ph.D. students with invaluable insights. They were able to observe research conducted in multiple manners and gained further insight into areas of their own expertise.