Begüm Dereli holds a Ph.D. in Political and Social Sciences from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Her Ph.D. thesis focuses on the integration experiences of refugee youths through higher education, focusing on a gender perspective, sense of belonging, and citizenship. She is a member of the research group GRITIM, and a former member of RECSM. She conducted policy-relevant research in UNU-GCM, and she worked in protection and livelihood projects targeting the refugee groups in Turkey.

She holds a master degree in Migration Studies at Pompeu Fabra University (2016) as a Jean Monnet scholar. Her master dissertation explores the relationship between perception of national identity and migration experiences. She completed her bachelor degree in Political Science and International Relations Department at Bogazici University (2015). 

Begüm's main academic interests include forced migration, identity, inclusion, belonging, and gender. She is currently based in Brussels, where she is working for advocating refugees and migrants' rights in Europe.

Publications:

Dereli, B. (2021). Belonging through higher education: The case of Syrian youth in Turkey, Journal of Refugee Studies, https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feab055

Dereli, B. (2018). Refugee Integration through Higher Education: Syrian Refugees in Turkey, Policy Report, United Nations University.