Dr. Argüden has been instrumental in the foundation of the independent Turkish think-tank, Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV). He has been a staunch promoter of public policy analysis.
He has taken a lead role in the Good Governance Program of TESEV, focusing on the most important policy questions facing Türkiye. TESEV’s current areas of activity include; Türkiye: Human Development Indicators, Values of Turkish Citizens: Religion and Politics, Ethnicity and Politics, Corruption, Poverty, Political Reform, Reform of Public Administration, Foreign Policy and EU Integration, State and Civil Society.
After having served on TESEV’s Board for many years, he was elected as a High Advisory Council Member in 2015.
TESEV is Türkiye’s leading independent think-tank, with a research agenda covering the major political, economic, and social issues facing Türkiye and the region. TESEV aims to build a bridge between academic research and policy-makers; to expand the role of civil society in the democratic process; and to promote Turkish convergence with the EU.
Bülent Eczacıbaşı’s invitation for the establishment of TESEV. Dr. Yılmaz Argüden, Feyyaz Berker, İshak Alaton, Prof. Üstün Ergüder, and Tavit Köletavitoğlu together… (1994)
Milliyet Ekonomi, February 8th, 1994
Trend, February 27th, 1994
Good Governance: Improving Quality of Life
Dr. Yılmaz Argüden, as the board member responsible for TESEV’s Good Governance Program, led the organization to address key governance issues in Türkiye. Especially, the “Good Governance for Quality of Life” project, in which the introduction and conclusion sections were authored by Dr. Argüden, was accepted by the World Bank, UNDP, and EU as a world class benchmark for good governance at the local government level. Tools and processes established to ensure that public funds are utilized according to strategic priorities and plans established with a participatory process have been published in “Good Governance Handbook.”