Türkiye’s prestigious National Intelligence Academy, launched earlier this year, started its first lessons with a lecture by the head of the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) Ibrahim Kalın on Monday.
Highlighting the importance of having a global voice in intelligence theory and methodology, Kalın said the academy’s mission aims to produce concepts in intelligence and create new literature.
"We’re embarking on a new journey for our world and our country. In this journey, the National Intelligence Academy will bring together theory and practice, as well as conceptual thought and application, create our own set of concepts and widen our horizons," the spymaster said.
Its vision is summed up as "establishing a competent intelligence community in Türkiye that is receptive to global engagement in the current competitive landscape of the multipolar world."
He continued by adding that the academy aims to embed and develop the area of intelligence as a field of study, raise field experts in necessary fields, and pave the way for new areas of study.
The academy will also be open to international students, and will also offer training to public institutions in some fields, according to Kalın.
Referring to constantly evolving technologies, Kalın said the academy will train analysts in the fields of artificial intelligence and data analysis, cyber security, cryptology, satellite and space technologies. It will enroot a strategic mindset that will lead the way for changes and transformations by following global developments in the field of intelligence.
"The work conducted in line with the Türkiye axis will contribute to our country and our academy acquiring new opportunities and skills in the spheres of intelligence and security," Kalın said.
The newly established academy will offer two postgraduate programs in Intelligence Work and Security Work.
Thirty-three students, who completed undergrad degrees in international relations, history, law, political science, psychology and engineering, and who passed the academy’s evaluation process, were accepted for the programs.
Inherent to its nature, MIT is shrouded in secrecy and its workings have remained under wraps for decades; but since 2010, the agency has been undergoing what has been broadly described as a "revolution" through which it launched headline-making cross-border counterterrorism operations, busted spy networks at home and developed a complementary mechanism for Turkish diplomacy. Tracking the agency's profile has thus become a lot easier in the past decade, as opposed to a "darker," that is an unknown era in Türkiye's intelligence past.
The National Intelligence Academy will conduct scientific studies and research and development work. It also plans to bring together academics and other experts working in intelligence fields through workshops, seminars and conferences.