Deniz S. Sert is a Professor at the Department of International Relations at Özyeğin University, Istanbul. She also serves as an editor of International Migration (SSCI), the journal of the International Organization for Migration. Before joining Özyeğin University, she worked as a Senior Research Associate at the Migration Research Center at Koç University. An expert on migration issues in Turkey and globally, she has taught and conducted research at several institutions both in Turkey and abroad.
She received her BA in International Relations from Koç University, an MSc in European Union Policy Making from the London School of Economics, and an MPhil in Political Science from the City University of New York, where she also completed her PhD in Comparative Politics. Her doctoral dissertation examined the long term implications of displacement and property rights among internally displaced people who fled the conflict, arguing that whether they return or not, the restoration or granting of property rights is essential both for the displaced and for the host country.
Professor Sert has published extensively on international migration within Turkey and its surrounding regions. She serves on the boards of European Movement Turkey, TURABDER, the Association for Migration Research (GAR), and the International Relations Council of Turkey.
Between 2019 and 2022, she held the Jean Monnet Chair, through which she developed teaching and research initiatives on European integration, migration, and governance.
She is co leader of the newly awarded Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence project, BRIDGE Building Research and Innovation in Identity, Diversity, and Governance in Europe. Led by Prof. Dr. Deniz S. Sert and Prof. Dr. Evren Balta, BRIDGE will create an interdisciplinary hub focused on migration, digital transformation, climate change, and democratic governance. The project will integrate new courses into the curriculum, establish a research driven Democracy Lab, and bring together students, policymakers, and civil society through workshops, policy briefs, and public events.
You can find the recent Curriculum Vitae here.