The Center for the Study of Mind and Human Interaction was established in 1987 by Vamik Volkan at the University of Virginia School of Medicine to address the intersection of psychoanalytic theory and international relations. This initiative facilitated dialogue between conflictual groups in various regions, including the Baltic Republics, Kuwait, Albania, Georgia, and former Yugoslavia.
Academic and Clinical Career
Educated at Ankara University Medical School, Volkan pursued a career in psychiatry and psychoanalysis. He spent thirty-nine years at the University of Virginia, where he served as the medical director of Blue Ridge Hospital for eighteen years. Following his retirement in 2002, he transitioned to the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, serving as the Senior Erik Erikson Scholar. His academic reach expanded through visiting professorships at institutions including Harvard University, the University of Vienna, and Bahceșehir University in Istanbul.
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Volkan held leadership roles within the American Psychiatric Association, chairing the Committee on Psychiatry and Foreign Affairs during the 1980s. He functioned as a member of the International Negotiation Network directed by Jimmy Carter between 1989 and 2000. His advisory work included consulting for the World Health Organization in Albania and Macedonia, as well as chairing the Select Advisory Commission of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Critical Incident Response Group, which analyzed the 1993 Waco, Texas, event.
Publications and Recognition
The recipient of the 2015 Sigourney Award and the 2003 Sigmund Freud Award, Volkan has authored or edited over fifty books. His scholarly contributions are frequently cited for applying psychoanalytic concepts to large-group identity, ethnic tension, and societal trauma. He founded the journal Mind & Human Interaction to bridge the divide between psychoanalysis and political science. His work has been recognized with honorary degrees from Kuopio University, Ankara University, and the Eastern European Psychoanalytic Institute.
Fast facts
- Born: 1932, Nicosia
- Citizenship: United States; Northern Cyprus
- Primary Occupation: Psychiatrist
- Notable Employer: University of Virginia
- Sigmund Freud Award Year: 2003
- Sigourney Award Year: 2015
Questions readers ask
Where did Vamik Volkan receive his medical training?
He was educated at Ankara University Medical School.
What subjects did the Center for the Study of Mind and Human Interaction investigate?
The center focused on issues such as ethnic tension, terrorism, large-group identity, societal trauma, and national conflict.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Virginia and Austen Riggs Center
- Fields: psychiatry
