Boğaziçi University hosted the second edition of the “Boğaziçi Lecture” conference on Friday, July 5, titled "The Future of Regional and Global Security: Opportunities and Challenges." The event featured Hulusi Akar, chair of the National Defense Committee, and Ben Wallace, former U.K. secretary of state for defense.
The event began with a speech from Boğaziçi University Rector Mehmet Naci Inci, who emphasized that universities must serve as centers for open inquiry and critical debate, rather than mere transmitters of information.
“Our role is to equip students and scholars with the tools to engage critically with the world’s most pressing problems,” Inci said. He added that universities have a responsibility to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and encourage innovative thinking to address complex global challenges such as climate change, technological disruption and geopolitical tensions.
“The world today is more anxious than ever,” Wallace said. “We are living in a post-globalization era where people feel the impact of events thousands of miles away through social media and information networks.”
He said this widespread anxiety is likely to persist over the next 10 years, leading to greater instability and population movements toward more stable countries.
Wallace cautioned that the biggest threat is the loss of government control over key institutions and technologies. He highlighted the growing power of artificial intelligence and the potential for misuse by terrorist groups. He also discussed the challenge of brain drain, criticizing the lack of investment in education and skilled workforce development in the U.S.
He noted that while neither Türkiye nor the U.K. is a member of the European Union, both countries play significant roles in Europe’s security framework, allowing them greater freedom in trade and defense matters.
“We have been engaged in a low-level conflict with our adversaries for years, involving cyberattacks, misinformation and proxy conflicts,” Wallace said. “The U.K. will need to increase defense spending, likely requiring cuts in other areas.”
Wallace identified the war in Ukraine as the most urgent global security issue facing the U.K. “From a British perspective, Ukraine is the top priority,” he also reiterated, reaffirming the U.K.’s long-standing opposition to recent violence in Gaza and reaffirming support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Akar said the post-World War II international system is no longer adequate for current challenges. He described the situation in Gaza as genocide and pointed to major transformations in technology, innovation and economics affecting global security. Akar said he hopes the program will continue and strengthen Türkiye’s academic and diplomatic ties.
