Biography
Supervisor: Dr Carlos Vargas-Silva
College affiliation: Keble College
Aslı is a doctoral researcher in Migration Studies and a Clarendon scholar based at COMPAS. Her research investigates the intersection of labour informality, formalization policy and the humanitarian-development nexus through a mixed methods case study of Syrian refugee livelihoods in Türkiye. She relies on an interdisciplinary body of literature—primarily from labour economics, critical development studies, public policy and migration studies—to theorize, empirically evaluate and problematize refugee work permit regulations.
In tandem with her doctoral work, Aslı has undertaken policy and research consultancies for the MIrreM project, the London School of Economics, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the International Refugee Rights Association, Türkiye on various projects thematically ranging from migration management to humanitarian influencing. She has also held teaching positions at the Oxford Department of International Development.
Before joining COMPAS, Aslı worked as a Policy and Humanitarian Diplomacy Associate at the International Committee of the Red Cross for the Eurasia desk. She holds an MSc in International Migration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and a dual BA in Economics and International Studies from Northwestern University.