Elif Nuhoglu

Where international relations meet the open road

I completed my education primarily within the context of the nine-year French school system, graduating from Saint Benoit French High School.

In 2020, I earned a degree in Political Science from Galatasaray University and subsequently obtained a master’s degree in "Geopolitics, Resources and Territory" from King's College London, with a focus on international relations.

Immediately following the completion of my master's, I undertook a three-month internship at the TÜSİAD EU Brussels Representative Office, where I gained substantial insights into the operations of European institutions.

Upon my return to Istanbul, I joined the International Transporters’ Association of Türkiye (UND), an opportunity facilitated by Çetin Nuhoğlu, President of the Board of Directors of Tırsan Treyler.

I have been working at UND for two years. I currently hold the position of European Union and International Relations Unit Manager, in addition to serving as the inaugural Chair of the UND Women Working Group.

I am involved in various lobbying initiatives in Brussels that advocate for the interests of companies within our sector in relation to EU institutions.

Furthermore, our organisation is at the forefront of efforts in the domain of women's studies. A notable example of this is the UND Women Truck Driver Academy, through which our association collaborates with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Türkiye, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the Turkish Employment Agency, and the Ministry of Interior. This initiative aims to address the shortage of drivers while enhancing women’s employment by training international women truck drivers.

Our ministries are actively providing incentives and support for this project, and I wish to commend the efforts of the UND Board of Directors and Women Working Group in this regard. I firmly believe that each component of a commendable whole is of utmost importance.

In addition to my role at UND, I serve as a BSEC Expert at the International Secretariat of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation – Union of Road Transport Associations (BSEC-URTA).

It is pertinent to note that my entry into the transport sector was facilitated by my association with UND. This opportunity has enabled me to recognise the inseparability of international relations – my academic field – and the international transport sector. We are currently observing how wars and unpredictable regional crises significantly impact transport in this era marked by change and uncertainty.

In conclusion, I wish to share a poignant quote from Antonio Gramsci's Prison Notebooks: “The old world is dying, the new world is struggling to be born. Now is the time of the monsters.”

The views and opinions expressed by the New Industry Shapers do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of IRU.