NEWS

The “Smart Borders and Security in the EU” project, to be conducted by İstanbul Nişantaşı University faculty members Prof. Dr. Çiğdem Üstün and Prof. Dr. Salih Bıçakcı, is a Jean Monnet Module that addresses the European Union’s migration governance, border management, and AI-supported security policies through an interdisciplinary approach.

The project examines the concept of “smart borders” not only through technological tools, but also as an area of governance that reshapes the relationship between sovereignty, mobility, security, and fundamental rights. Building on the fact that European Union studies in Türkiye have largely focused on EU–Türkiye relations, the project aims to bring current EU policy areas such as digitalisation, border governance, artificial intelligence, and security more strongly into the higher education agenda.

The “Smart Borders and Security in the EU” course, which will be delivered within the scope of the project, will introduce students to securitisation theory, the legal and institutional structure of Schengen, artificial intelligence governance, and border practices. Through simulation-based learning, students will be encouraged to experience how fundamental EU principles such as proportionality, accountability, and human oversight are applied in real decision-making processes.

In addition to academic publications, the project plans to reach at least 150 students through the course over a three-year period and to organise 6 workshops, 3 public conferences, 6 policy briefs, and 12 podcasts.

Another important dimension of the project is to reduce false and misleading information concerning the EU’s migration and border policies, strengthen public awareness and knowledge, and increase societal resilience against disinformation and hybrid threats.

Bringing together interdisciplinary education, experiential learning, and publicly accessible information sharing, the project aims to enhance the University’s capacity in EU studies within the framework of security governance, digital regulation, and European values.