Meet Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kibaroğlu, the Turkish Representative to the UN in Vienna
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kibaroğlu has now officially assumed his post as Turkey’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna. Kibaroğlu had already been serving as Minister Plenipotentiary at his country’s Permanent Mission in Vienna since March 2025.
The Resident Representative of Turkiye to the IAEA, HE Mr. Mustafa Kibaroglu (l.), presenting his credentials to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (r.). / Picture: © Flickr / Dean Calma / IAEA Images [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de)]
Kibaroğlu has had a decades-long, distinguished career in research and consulting in the field of international politics. Born in 1962, he graduated from the prestigious Galatasaray High School in 1981. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering (1987) and a master’s degree in economics (1990) from Boğaziçi University. In 1996, he received his Ph.D. in international relations from Bilkent University in Ankara.
During and after his doctoral studies, Kibaroğlu undertook research fellowships at renowned international institutions, including a fellowship at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in Geneva and a fellowship sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the University of Southampton.
Academic Positions and NATO Advisory Roles
Before joining the diplomatic service, Kibaroğlu taught and held leadership positions at several top universities in Turkey. Among other roles, he served as deputy director of the Institute of International Relations at Bilkent University (1997–2011) and as department chair at Okan University (2011–2014). Starting in 2014, he held key positions at MEF University in Istanbul, including founding director of the Institute of Political Science and International Relations, dean of the Faculty of Economics, Administrative, and Social Sciences (2017–2024), and director of the Graduate School.
In addition to his teaching activities, Kibaroğlu served as an advisor to the NATO Center of Excellence for Defense Against Terrorism from 2006 to 2013 and was a member of an expert group at the missile manufacturer ROKETSAN (2015/2016–2019). In addition, he has been a board member since 2007 of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, an organization that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995.
Publications and Research Focus
Kibaroğlu is regarded as a leading expert on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, disarmament, NATO and European security policy, international terrorism, and Turkish foreign policy. He is the author and editor of numerous academic books (including Global Security Watch – Turkey, 2009) and scholarly articles in international publications. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kibaroğlu speaks English and French. He is married to Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Kibaroğlu and is the father of one son.
More information about Prof. Dr. Kibaroğlu:
| 1. Diplomatic Career | |
|---|---|
| 04/2026 – Present | Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Türkiye to the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV). |
| 03/2025 – 04/2026 | Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Türkiye to the United Nations Office in Vienna. |
| 2. Academic Positions & Administrative Roles | |
|---|---|
| 2024 – 2025 | Director of the Graduate School, MEF University, Istanbul. |
| 2017 – 2024 | Dean, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, MEF University, Istanbul. |
| 2015 – 2023 | Director, MEF Strategy Center, MEF University, Istanbul. |
| 2015 – 2018 | Director, Institute of Social Sciences & Senate Member, MEF University, Istanbul. |
| 2014 – 2017 | Founding Chair, Department of Political Science & International Relations, MEF University, Istanbul (Faculty Member since July 2014). |
| 2011 – 2014 | Chair, Department of International Relations, Okan University, Istanbul. |
| 2003 | Appointed Associate Professor. |
| 1997 – 2011 | Vice-Chair & Assistant/Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Bilkent University, Ankara. |
| 3. Education | |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Ph.D. in International Relations, Bilkent University, Ankara. |
| 1990 | M.A. in Economics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul. |
| 1987 | B.S. in Industrial Engineering, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul. |
| 1981 | High School Diploma, Galatasaray High School, Istanbul (Graduated on the 500th Anniversary of the school). |
| 4. International Research Fellowships & Grants | |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Stanton Foundation Grant, Awarded for Course Development on International and Nuclear Security. |
| 2004 – 2005 | Sabbatical Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University, USA. |
| 1996 – 1997 | Post-doctoral Fellow, Monterey Institute of International Studies, California, USA. |
| 1996 | IAEA Fellow, International Atomic Energy Agency Fellow at the University of Southampton, UK. |
| 1995 | UNIDIR Fellow, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, Geneva, Switzerland. |
| 5. Advisory Roles & Organizational Affiliations | |
|---|---|
| 2007 – Present | Council Member, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (1995 Nobel Peace Prize winner organization). |
| 2015 – 2019 | Distinguished Member, Sectoral Working Group of ROKETSAN Missile Industries. |
| 2006 – 2013 | Academic Advisor & Founding Editor-in-Chief, NATO Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) & Defence Against Terrorism Review (DATR) under the Turkish General Staff. |
| 6. Academic Expertise & Key Publications | |
|---|---|
| Research Areas | Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), Disarmament, Arms Control, NATO, European Security and Defense Policies, International Terrorism, Middle Eastern Politics, Cyprus Issue, Foreign Policy Analysis, Turkish Foreign Policy. |
| Co-Authored Books | Global Security Watch – Turkey: A Reference Handbook (with Ayşegül Kibaroğlu, Praeger, USA, 2009). |
| Edited Volumes |
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| Academic Journals | Published articles and chapters in: Security Dialogue, Nonproliferation Review, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Middle East Quarterly, Middle East Journal, Brown Journal of World Affairs, Middle Eastern Studies, Korean Journal of Defense Analysis, Turkish Studies, Middle East Policy, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, among others. |