The Turkish Social Sciences Symposium (TSBS), organized online since 2021 in collaboration with Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University and the Oku Okut Association, aims to bring together academics working in the social sciences and graduate students, encourage the sharing of experience, and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration. In this respect, the symposium serves as an important academic platform that aims to provide continuity to the research ecosystem in the social sciences.
The 5th Turkish Social Sciences Symposium will take place over seven days, from August 25–31, 2025, and a total of 86 papers will be presented. This year, papers prepared in the fields of philosophy, theology, psychology, sociology, and history were accepted. A total of 127 applications were received, and the applications were first subjected to a preliminary review by the Scientific Board and then evaluated by at least two expert referees. The papers will be: The papers were reviewed based on criteria such as originality, scientific value, relevance to the literature, methodological rigor, and contribution to the field. At the end of the process, 86 of the 127 applications were accepted. This rate corresponds to 67.72% of the total applications.
Following the refereeing process, the publication of the symposium outcomes is being carried out in a planned manner. The abstracts of the accepted abstracts were published by Oku Okut Publications in e-book format, with DOI numbers, under the title "5th Turkish Social Sciences Symposium Abstracts Book." This way, the abstracts gain both archival value and international access. Full-text abstracts will be published as articles in the TSBS Proceedings Journal (ISSN: 2980-3543) after the refereeing process is completed. Thanks to this publication policy, the symposium outcomes are not only the product of a short-term event but also constitute a lasting academic contribution.
The symposium will take place on August 25, 2025, at 10:00 AM, with the Rector Prof. Dr. The event began with opening remarks from Prof. Dr. Nuri Adıgüzel, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, and Dr. Abdullah Demir, Chair of the Organizing Committee.
In his remarks, Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Cengiz Köseoğlu stated that the university was honored to host this scientific event. He emphasized that the symposium aims to increase academic productivity in our country and creates a common academic platform by bringing together researchers from different universities. Köseoğlu stated that the university has placed special emphasis on the social sciences since its founding, emphasizing their indispensability in understanding the identity, historical background, and religious and philosophical thought of societies. He also noted that social sciences form the basis of future policies and social development, and therefore, the university continues to support graduate research and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Prof. Dr. Nuri Adıgüzel, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, stated that the symposium was organized on behalf of AYBU under the coordination of the faculty. He stated that this event, organized annually under protocols signed with the Okut Association, contributes to academic productivity in the social sciences. Adıgüzel emphasized that the symposium is not only a platform for knowledge sharing but also a powerful platform for young researchers to develop their academic skills.
Dr. Abdullah Demir, Chair of the Organizing Committee, also shared details about the symposium's process. He stated that this year, 100 researchers from 28 institutions will present, and a total of 202 researchers from 60 institutions have contributed. He also noted that 58 scientific committee members from 25 institutions will be involved, and 32 sessions will be held over seven days. He noted that papers submitted by master's and doctoral students were meticulously reviewed, and 282 feedback reports were prepared during this process. Demir noted that in this respect, the symposium serves as a "practical paper writing school."
Demir also explained that the symposium was prepared using the OJS infrastructure, and that all materials, from abstracts to video recordings, are permanently accessible. He announced that accepted papers will be assigned a DOI to their full texts, and once the process is complete, they are expected to be included in international databases such as Web of Science and Scopus.
Symposium website: https://sempozyum.okuokut.org
YouTube livestream address: https://www.youtube.com/OkuOkutTV
