Dr. Yasemin Ülker
Deputy Director
Dr. Yasemin Ülker completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Business Administration before earning her Ph.D. in Business Management from Istanbul University. Since 2013, she has actively contributed to three European Union projects and participated in six Erasmus mobility programs. Entering academia in 2017, Dr. Ülker specializes in sustainable supply chains and organizational behavior. She has authored diverse international journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters. Since 2023, she has served as the Deputy Director of CIFAL Istanbul while also holding a faculty position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Logistics Management at Bahçeşehir University. Recently, Dr. Ülker was awarded the TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye) Postdoctoral Research Scholarship to conduct her research on “Developing Sustainable Supply Chain Metrics” at the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School.
Dr. Nilüfer Geysi
Coordinator
Nilüfer Geysi (Ph.D.) is an assistant professor with a Ph.D. in Advertising and Public Relations from Bahçeşehir University, where her dissertation research focused on climate change communication. She is the Director of the Center for Social Impact and Responsibility and the Coordinator of CIFAL Istanbul,UNITAR. Her research interests encompass sustainability, science communication, and crisis communication. Geysi has taught a range of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including public engagement and ethics, climate change communication, sustainability communication, science communication, and internal communication. She has served as a reviewer for several prestigious journals in her field. Passionate about translating research into practice, she shares her expertise on sustainability communication through various programs developed in collaboration with the private sector.
Ayşe Sine Sezer
Executive Assistant
Ayşe Sine Sezer completed her LLB with honours before earning an LLM from the University of Bristol, where her dissertation on environmental governance under the UK Environment Act 2021 was awarded with Distinction. She is currently a doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. Her research interests include environmental law, climate change litigation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable governance, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Her doctoral thesis examines the role and impacts of climate change litigation on biodiversity conservation and environmental governance. She is a member of the Istanbul Bar Association, the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP), and the Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA).
Aslıcan Açık
Coordination and Organization Assistant Specialist
Aslıcan Açık graduated from Bahçeşehir University, Political Science and International Relations department. After worked one year as an Assistant Student at CIFAL Istanbul and served as President at CIFAL Istanbul Youth Platform, she is currently working as an Assistant Specialist responsible from Coordination and Organization at CIFAL Istanbul. She completed her second internship at T.C. Amasya Governorship. Aslıcan is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Global Politics at Bahçeşehir University. She is interested in global security, diplomacy, media & politics relations and sustainability issues.
Olca Sena Uçar
Education and Project Assistant Specialist
Olca Sena graduated from Bahçeşehir University with a degree in Political Science and International Relations. She is currently working as an Assistant Specialist responsible from Education and Projects at CIFAL Istanbul. She previously gained experience in the public sector through her internship at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Global Politics and International Relations at Bahçeşehir University. Her areas of interest include public policy, governance, sustainability, human rights, and social impact projects.
Ceren Orhan
Project Development and Implementation Assistant Specialist
Ceren Orhan works as an Assistant Specialist for Project Development and Implementation at CIFAL Istanbul. She graduated from Bahçeşehir University, Department of Political Science and International Relations. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as an assistant in various academic and administrative units of her university and studied in Vienna within the scope of the Erasmus exchange program. She has published the article “New Face of European Far-right: Femonationalism as a Tool for Anti-migration in EU and Beyond.” Within CIFAL Istanbul, she actively contributes to the design and implementation of projects carried out in collaboration with public institutions, the private sector, academia, and civil society, and supports awareness-raising activities, trainings, and workshops aimed at young people. Her areas of interest include women’s rights, reducing inequalities, human rights, and youth engagement.
Zeynep Yüksel
Student Assistant
Zeynep Yüksel is a senior student in Energy Systems Engineering Department at Bahçeşehir University. She works as a Student Assistant at CIFAL Istanbul. At the same time she takes part in The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA) Youth – Bahçeşehir University as a Board Member responsible from creative design for advertisements. She had done her internship at EnerjiSA Üretim and BioTrend, interesting the wind energy, biomass and sustainable energy generation. She is also concerned about sustainable developments in arts and culture scene.
Erdal Yılmaz
Student Assistant
Efekan Erdal Yılmaz is a senior Political Science and International Relations student completing a Minor in Economics at Bahçeşehir University. He currently works as a Student Assistant at CIFAL Istanbul. Previously, Erdal gained diverse practical experience across both the public sector and civil society, serving as an intern at the Istanbul Revenue Office and the Habitat Association. Expanding his international perspective, he has participated in several Erasmus+ youth exchanges. Additionally, he has been actively engaged in various social initiatives focusing on youth empowerment and media literacy. His academic interests include environmental policy, energy politics, climate change, and sustainability.
Barış Yavaş
Student Assistant
Barış Yavaş is a fourth-year Public Relations student at Bahçeşehir University, currently pursuing a double major in International Relations and Political Science. With experience spanning diverse sectors, from tourism to entertainment organizations, he has developed a versatile and dynamic professional perspective. He also has done his internship before at Fenerbahçe Sports Club as the Member Relations intern He serves as the President of the university’s Model United Nations Club, where he actively fosters his academic and leadership skills. His primary areas of interest include political communication and the principles of freedom of speech.