How Do Simulations Affect Career Decision Making? The Case of “Model Turkish Diplomacy”

Abstract

Simulations are now long-established pedagogical tools in IR programs. Concomitant with this development, scholarly attention has been devoted to the impact of IR simulations on students. Recent research has found evidence to suggest that there is an association between IR simulations and students’ aspirations toward political and diplomatic careers. However, despite abundant research, we still have little knowledge about how IR simulations impact students’ perceptions of the diplomacy profession in general and the role of universities in this profession specifically. This study aims to fill these gaps by analyzing whether and how students’ opinions on the diplomacy profession and the role of universities in building diplomatic skills change after participating in “Model Turkish Diplomacy” simulations. It particularly focuses on how simulation experiences impact career decision-making processes among IR students. This study used a quasi-experimental design. Via convenience sampling, data was collected through pre- and post-simulation (online) survey questionnaires submitted to undergraduate IR students at Yildiz Technical University who enrolled in the courses “The Middle East Society and Politics” and “Diplomatic Correspondence” and volunteered to participate in simulations in the fall semester of 2023–2024.

Keywords:

• Simulations
• IR
• “Model Turkish diplomacy”
• diplomatic skills
• universities

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank all Yildiz Technical University students who volunteered to participate in this research. This research would not have been possible without their participation and insights.

Notes

1 IR simulations have their roots in war gaming used by militaries to train officers on battlefield decision-making, tactics, strategies, and plans (Starkey and Blake 2001). There are three types of IR simulations. Researchers generally use the first type to develop and test theories of decision-making and other processes. The second type enables political and military actors to evaluate various scenarios. The third type is used as an educational tool to help students gain insight into world politics and IR theories (Starkey and Blake 2001). The latter is part of a hybrid learning tool that facilitates a comprehensive learning process (Ben-Yehuda et al. 2015). It adopts a “student-centered” approach to teaching (Land & Jonassen 2000) and treats students as “producers of knowledge” (Obendorf and Randerson 2012, 1). This type of simulation has become popular in IR classrooms in parallel to the growing popularity of the educational philosophy of “active” and “experiential learning” (Sears Nathan 2018). Some of the most popular IR simulations are Model United Nations, Model Organization of African Unity (OAU), Model Organization of American States (OAS), and Model European Union (EU). See Starkey and Blake (2001).

2 Although some studies treat role-play simulations and games as subcategories of simulations (Sears Nathan 2018), role-play simulations and games are different. For example, while games are fair to all sides, simulations are not. One of the defining features of games is a zero-sum relationship. While simulations might have winners and losers, they may also have non-zero-sum results (Jackson 2013). While there are also computer-based simulations, the most popular type of simulation offered in IR courses is role-play simulation (Sears Nathan 2018). In this article, role-play simulations and simulations are treated synonymously.

3 Simulations pave the way for creative initiatives and improved motivation (Ben-Yehuda et al. 2015). By playing the roles of presidents, ministers, and representatives of an ethnic group, students can delve into the minds of decision-makers, face domestic and foreign constraints, and understand the importance of creativity and compromise in the formulation of international agreements (Ben-Yehuda 2021).

4 The author followed the research ethics guidelines of his/her institution, including adequate human subject protections consistent with the institutional standards and in compliance with the APSA Ethical Guidelines. The author obtained the approval of the Ethical Board of the Yildiz Technical University. The approval number is 2023.09.

5 Since we do not know what future career path the students will make in the future, it is important to emphasize that students are not “changing their career path” after the simulation. They are changing their response to a hypothetical question about future career paths.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by YTU BAP Project (SBA-2023-5787).

Notes on contributors

Lacin Idil Oztig

Lacin Idil Oztig (PhD) is Associate Professor at Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul. She teaches Middle East politics and international organizations. She does research on border politics, democratization, human rights, secularism, and populism. Her work has appeared in various journals including Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, Government and Opposition, Territory, Politics, Governance, Third World Quarterly, European Policy Analysis, Public Health, Middle East Policy, the Social Science Journal, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Journal of Borderlands Studies, and Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies. She is the editor of Alternatives: Global, Local, Political.