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Zekiye Gürün-Ücem

Zekiye Gürün-Ücem.jpg
Zekiye Gürün-Ücem.jpg
About me

Zekiye Gürün-Ücem is a PhD Fellow at the International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC) and a member of both the GCSC and the Giessen Graduate Centre for Social Sciences, Business, Economics, and Law (GGS) at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen. Her doctoral research is situated in the field of Cultural Sociology.

Her project, "Unraveling the ‘German Dream’: An Analysis of the Increasing Trend of Turkish Asylum Seekers in Germany and the Role of Evolving Legal Frameworks", investigates the socio-political and legal dynamics influencing recent patterns of asylum-seeking among Turkish nationals in Germany. The dissertation is supervised by Prof. Dr. Jörn Ahrens.

Academic training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from TED University, complemented by a minor in Sociology and a secondary field in Law. During this period, she also participated in an exchange program at Universität Leipzig.

She earned her Master of Arts in Public Economics, Law, and Politics from Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, which also included an academic exchange at the University of Wrocław. She currently works as a Research Assistant for the Governance and Human Rights MA Programme at Leuphana.

Her research focuses on migration, human rights, and socio-political transformations, with active involvement in cross-institutional collaborations. She is a former MA and current PhD scholar of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).

At the GCSC, she also serves as one of the speakers for the Emerging Topics Research Group “Migration and (De)coloniality.”

Contact

Zekiye.Gueruen-Uecem@gcsc.uni-giessen.de

Publications

Journal Articles: 

  • "Addressing Challenges in mHealth Implementation: Comparative Analysis of ASEAN and EU Approaches."
    Published in Panorama 2024 – Insights into Asian and European Affairs, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia – Singapore.
    20 March 2024. Available here

  • "The Changing Currents: The Evolution of Turkish Migration in Germany."
    Published in European Studies Review, December Issue.
    19 December 2023. Available here

Blog Article:

  • "Ukrainian Refugees in the European Union: A Closer Look at Germany’s Role."
    Published in European Studies Review.
    11 January 2024. Available here

Translation:

  • Turkish Translation of "Who We Are: The Anarcho-Feminist Manifesto"
    Published as "Anarko-Feminizm: Tüm Baskı Biçimlerinin Sonunun Başlangıcı"
    2021. Available here 1 & 2
Projects

  • TEDU URF Project – Undergraduate Research Fund, Funded by TED University, Ankara
    Title: Examining the Education Rates of Refugees from a Gender Perspective: The Case of Ankara
    This research investigated educational barriers faced by Syrian, Afghan, Iraqi, and Turkmen refugee children in Ankara through fieldwork and qualitative analysis.
    Key Findings: Highlighted economic, psychological, political, and legal obstacles impacting access to education.
Memberships

Research Interests

  • Forced Migration and Asylum Policies
  • Migration Governance in European Contexts
  • Human Rights and Legal Frameworks
  • Socio-Political Dynamics of Belonging and Exclusion
  • Transnational Identity and Diaspora Studies
Presentations

  • "Migration Policies in Turkey." 2023, Migration Perspectives in Turkey Seminar, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
  • "Expert Input on Migration Perspectives in Turkey." 2023, Seminar on Political Institutions and Migration, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
  • "On the Possibility of Developing without Growth: Building a Fairer World with Degrowth." 2022, Conference on Degrowth and Sustainable Futures, Turkish-German University, TED University, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, and Başkent University.
  • "Invisible Warriors: Exploring Gendered Migration Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic." 2021, International Gender Studies in Turkey Conference, SU Gender, Sabancı University.
Additional Information

Stays Abroad: 

  • University of Wrocław – M.A. Exchange Semester, International Relations – Global Studies (Erasmus+)
    October 2023 – February 2024

  • University of Leipzig – B.A. Exchange Semester, Global and European Studies Institute (Erasmus+)
    October 2021 – March 2022

Scholarships: 

  • PhD Scholarship, International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC), Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
    October 2024 – September 2027

  • PhD Scholarship, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
    October 2024 – September 2027

  • M.A. Scholarship, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
    October 2022 – September 2024

  • Merit Scholarship, TED University
    2022