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.
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.
Eren Yalınkaya
Communication and Partnership Assistant Specialist
Eren Yalınkaya is currently affiliated as an Assistant Specialist Responsible for Communication and Partnership at CIFAL Istanbul. He completed his undergraduate degree in Political Science and International Relations at Bahçeşehir University. During this time, he worked as an assistant student at the Bahçeşehir University School of Government and Leadership and completed his internship at the Directorate General of Coastal Safety at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. He is currently completing his master’s degree in Global Politics at Bahçeşehir University. He also works as a volunteer search and rescue operator in domestic and international disasters.
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.
Aslıcan Açık
Coordination and Organization Assistant Specialist
Aslıcan graduated from Bahçeşehir University, Political Science and International Relations department. After worked one year as an Assistant Student at CIFAL Istanbul and served as Co-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.
Ceren Orhan
Student Assistant
Ceren Orhan is a senior Political Science and International Relations student at Bahçeşehir University. She is the Co-President of the CIFAL Istanbul Youth Platform and also works as a Student Assistant at CIFAL Istanbul. She has participated in the Erasmus+ Student Exchange Program in University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna in the 2022-2023 Spring Semester. Ceren was previously a Student Assistant for School of Government and Leadership (HLO), and she is currently the Vice President of the Political Science and International Relations Student Club. In her academic life she mostly focuses on gender equality and social development.
Beyza Var
Student Assistant
Beyza Var is a third year student in the Political Science and International Relations department at Bahçeşehir University. Beyza Var serves as the Co-President of the CIFAL Istanbul Youth Platform and actively works as an assistant in CIFAL Istanbul. She also has partaken in roles such as a board member of the Political Science and International Relations club. She is interested in issues regarding sustainability and finding solutions for reducing social inequalities.
Dilara Yüksel
Student Assistant
Dilara Yüksel is a senior student studying Political Science and International Relations at Bahcesehir University. She works as a Student Assistant at CIFAL Istanbul and at the same time serves on the Board of Directors of the Political Science and International Relations student club. She completed a volunteer internship at the Ministry of Family and Social Services, where she engaged in handling international collaborations related to social services and policies. She also conducted research on the scope and activities of international organizations. Dilara has actively participated as a volunteer in social initiatives supporting war-affected children. Her areas of interest include human rights, security, and sustainable development.