REVIEW
by research supervisor of the graduate qualification paper submitted by the second-year student of the __“International Relations (in English)”__ master’s program at SPbSU

______________________ Акан Онур __________________
(first name, last name of the student)
titled __Soft Power Diplomacy of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA)_______________ 
Дипломатия «мягкой силы» Парламентской Ассамблеи тюркских государств (ТЮРКПА)___________
(title)
1. Assessment of the paper:
No.	Assessment Criteria
(codes of competences according to curriculum)	Grade:
•	excellent, A (5.0)
•	good, B (4.5)
•	good, C (4.0)
•	satisfactory, D (3.5)
•	satisfactory, E (3.0)
•	unsatisfactory, F (0.0)  	Reviewer’s Comments
(mandatory for those criteria on which the paper is assessed critically or downgraded)
1.	Academic relevance of the research problem 
(ОПК-4, ПКА-5)	

excellent, A (5.0)	This case study of the role of TURKPA as a regional organization in exercising soft power diplomacy can be regarded as a relevant and relatively novel subject of academic research
2.	Scholarly contribution by the author
(ОПК-4, ПКА-2, ПКА-3, ПКА-5, ПКА-6, ПКП-9)	

excellent, A (5.0)	The results of this study and their interpretation offer valuable scholarly contribution to the body of research on various aspects of soft power as well as on cultural and humanitarian cooperation within the Turkic world
3.	Appropriateness of the research objective, coherence of research objective and research tasks
(ОПК-4, ПКА-2, ПКА-5, ПКА-6, ПКА-10, ПКП-9)	

excellent, A (5.0)	The goal and tasks of the research are clearly formulated and refined
4.	Quality of the empirical scope and of the primary sources review
(ПКА-2, ПКА-7, ПКП-4)	
excellent, A (5.0)	The study is based on a solid body of primary sources of various types. Classification of sources is presented in the introduction
5.	Comprehensiveness of secondary sources (academic literature) employed by the author
(ПКА-2, ПКА-7)	

excellent, A (5.0)	The paper covers a wide range of secondary sources and academic literature on various aspects of the TURKPA’s formation and activities, Turkic identity, economic and cultural integration in Central Asia and greater Eurasia
6.	Adequacy of chosen research methods to the stated research objective and research tasks  
(ПКА-2, ПКА-8, ПКА-10) 	

good, C (4.0)	The methodological design of the research is not entirely clear. A “mixed methods approach” as mentioned by the author in the introduction barely touches upon (and does not really explain) how a specific combination of methods was applied and for which research tasks exactly
7.	Correspondence of empirical results to the stated research objective and research tasks
(ОПК-7, ПКА-2, ПКА-3, ПКА-5, ПКА-6, ПКП-4, ПКП-9)	

excellent, A (5.0)	Main research tasks were properly achieved. The paper draws a nuanced image of the role of TURKPA in facilitating cultural, humanitarian, economic and diplomatic integration of relevant international actors of the Turkic world
8.	Text formatting and editing 
(ОПК-7, ПКА-7)	

excellent, A (5.0)	The quality of text formatting conforms to main requirements stipulated for graduate qualification papers at the master’s level. To some extent, arbitrary and promiscuous use of capital letters in the references’ formatting leaves the impression of negligence
9.	Diligence, consistency, and responsibility demonstrated by the student when writing the paper
(ОПК-7, УК-6)	

good, C (4.0)	Author’s collaboration with research supervisor was active only during the initial phase of designing the study. No parts of the paper were ever presented to the supervisor for evaluation before the final text was submitted
Average grade:	 4.77

2. Conclusion/Recommendations for the evaluation commission:
Overall, the master’s dissertation by Onur Akan is a piece of fine academic work. It is original, conceptually (if not methodologically) refined and empirically mature. It conforms to main requirements associated with graduate master’s papers and deserves to be evaluated with high grade. The author, in turn, deserves to be conferred on with the master’s degree in International Relations.

3. Recommended grade (in ECTS): excellent, A


June 06, 2024
candidate of political sciences, associate professor, Department of American Studies, SPbSU
Denis S. Golubev

к.п.н., доцент кафедры американских исследований СПбГУ
Голубев Денис