Guest researcher: Berfin Özcan
Berfin Özcan will be a guest researcher at the School of Global Studies during the spring of 2026.
Tell us a little about yourself?
"I am a PhD candidate in Human Rights, Global Politics and Sustainability at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy. I previously graduated from the University of Bologna, where I developed a strong interest in governance, social justice, and European politics. Over the past years, I have combined academic research with involvement in community-based and European initiatives. These experiences shaped my interest in how power, inequality, and participation are negotiated in everyday governance practices, particularly in relation to environmental and climate challenges."
What is your area of expertise?
"My research sits at the intersection of feminist political ecology, climate governance, and justice. I focus on how gendered power relations and institutional practices shape environmental decision-making. More specifically, I examine how ideas such as participation, inclusion, and fairness are constructed within climate adaptation processes, and how they may reproduce or challenge existing inequalities."
What will you be working on during your time here at the School of Global Studies?
"I will conduct comparative fieldwork on local flood adaptation governance in Italy and Sweden, examining how justice and participation are negotiated in early stages of climate policy-making. Also, I will be collaborating with Annica Kronsell, and I look forward to engaging with ongoing discussions on climate governance at the department."
