Dr Aslı Kandemir

• PhD in Sociology, Liverpool Hope University
• MA in International Relations (European), Durham University
• MA in Sociology, Ankara University
• MA in Philosophy Group Teaching in Secondary Education, Ankara University
• Minor in History of Philosophy, Middle East Technical University
• BSc (Hons) in Sociology, Middle East Technical University

Dr Aslı Kandemir is a passionate interdisciplinary sociologist with strong, decade-long teaching and research experience in social and education policy, diversity, and inclusive curriculum and creative pedagogy. Her research brings a sociological perspective to inclusive values teaching by addressing diversity in communities, discourse-making in education policy, and enquiry-based, participatory, and creative pedagogies. She brings extensive experience in both academia and applied policy work, having previously managed EU-funded social projects, and contributed evidence to UK policymakers. Her work is grounded in advanced qualitative and arts-based methods, supported by quantitative research expertise. 

She is currently writing her first monograph titled Tolerance and Symbolic Borders: British-Turkish Identity, Values and Community Cohesion (Bristol University Press, 2026) and acting as the Co-Editor-in-Chief at Turkish Area Studies (TAS) Review, the flagship journal of the prestigious British Association of Turkish Area Studies. She is also an Editorial Board member of world-leading journal Race Ethnicity and Education and a peer-reviewer for pioneering international academic journals in the fields of Sociology, Education, and Research Methods. She also advises public sector, third sector, and community organisations within several outlets. She is a former radio DJ and an avid capoeirista.

Education, Policy and Society (MA Education)

Education Futures (Guest Lecturer MA Education)

James Sutton (PhD Education)

Please feel free to contact Dr Kandemir directly if you are interested in pursuing doctoral research under her supervision.

Research interests

Diversity (race/ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality), social and education policy, social and political theory, research methods (arts-based and participatory, advanced qualitative, and quantitative/mixed methods). 

Current projects

1. “Access to Success Pathways for Inclusive Research Excellence (ASPIRE)” (Wellcome Trust, 2024-26):

Institutional Lead: Prof Adam Tickell

Principle Investigator: Prof Etlyn Kenny

Co-Investigators: Prof Catherine Mangan, Prof Christopher Millward, Prof Yemisi Takwoingi, Dr Zania Stamataki, Sheena Lucas

2. “Values for Cohesion: In the Shadow of Karagöz and Hacivat” (MHCLG-BCC, 2025):

Principle Investigator: Dr Aslı Kandemir

Creative Lead: Dr Tuğçe Bıçakçı-Syed

Research Associates:

Grace Sahota, PhDc in Education, University of Birmingham

Mine Gülnur Samokhvalov, MA in Sociology-European Studies,
Freie Universität Berlin

James Sutton, PhDc in Education, University of Birmingham,

Yıldız Uzun, PhDc in Education, UCL

 Previous Projects

1.“'Free' Expression at School? The Making of Youth Engagements with Race and Faith (FrEx)” (The Leverhulme Trust, 2022-25):

Principle Investigator: Prof Karl Kitching

Co-Investigator: Prof Reza Gholami 

2.“British-Turks Negotiating ‘British Values’: Developing and Applying Critical Non-Formal Education Materials” (CoSS EEI Funding, 2023)

Principle Investigator: Dr Aslı Kandemir 

3.“‘Tolerance in the question of community cohesion: A case study of a British-Turkish community group in the North(-West) of England” (Liverpool Hope University Vice-Chancellor’s Office, 2016-19)

Principle Investigator: Aslı Kandemir 

4.“The socio-political impact of the 2008/09 global financial crisis on the post-industrial society in the European Union: A case study on Greece” (The European Union Jean Monnet Scholarship, 2014-15)

Principle Investigator: Aslı Kandemir

Invited keynotes and talks

2025

• “Policy Stakeholders and ‘Free Speech’ at School: Navigating Race, Religion, and Moral Panic”. Runnymede Trust, Towards a Fairer Future: Transforming Curriculum and Assessment for an Anti-Racist Education System, Roundtable Event.
• “British Values from the Perspective of British-Turkish Youth”
  • The London School of Economics and Political Science, 34th BATAS Spring Symposium, Turkish Politics and Society in Flux: Identity, Policy, and Transnational Dynamics.
  • King’s College London, Nonreligion in a Complex Future, Researching School Values Workshop.
  • “Tolerance and Symbolic Borders: British-Turkish Identity, Values, and Community Cohesion”
    • Mossbourne Federation Conference, Excel Centre London.
    • Uppsala University, Department of Education, Didactics and Sociology of Education.
    • Stockholm University, Institute for Turkish Studies.

2024

• “How to tackle hate speech at schools”. NASUWT (UK) and GEW (Germany), NASUWT Teachers’ Unions West Midlands.
• “Tolerance and Symbolic Borders: British-Turkish Identity, Values, and Community Cohesion”
  • Leeds Beckett University, Centre for Research on Race Education and Decoloniality.
  • University of Birmingham, Domus Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Histories of Education and Childhood.
  • “In Spatiality of Populism: Discourse of Tolerance as Symbolic Border”
    • Maynooth University, The Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI) Annual Conference.

• University of Galway, The Problem of Critique and Truth in Public – A Symposium.
• “’Political views should be based on facts’: Policy Stakeholders Navigating Questions of ‘Free Speech’ in English Schools”. University of Warwick, Warwick Education Seminars.

Selected major conference presentations

• 2025: Values for Cohesion: In the Shadow of Karagöz and Hacivat (University of Birmingham, School of Education Research and Scholarship Conference).
• 2024: In Spatiality of Populism: Discourse of Tolerance as Symbolic Border (University of Birmingham, Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS) Conference).
• 2024: Policy Stakeholders and ‘Free Speech’ at School: Navigating Race, Religion, and Moral Panic (The European Sociological Association (ESA) 16th Conference, Porto).
• 2024: Education in an Age of Uncertainty: memory and hope for the future (University of Cyprus, The European Educational Research Association (EERA) ECER).
• 2024: FBVs or IBVs? Tolerance in Education Policy and British-Turkish Youth Identity (University of Birmingham, School of Education Research and Scholarship Conference: Working Locally and Globally to Improve Education for All).
• 2024: Tolerance in Education Policy and Characterisation of Britishness for British-Turkish Youth (University of Strathclyde, Political Studies Association (PSA) 74th Annual Conference).
• 2024: Policy Stakeholders and ‘Free Speech’ at School: Navigating Race, Religion, and Moral Panic (University of Strathclyde, Political Studies Association (PSA) 74th Annual Conference).
• 2023: Education Policy and Youth Freedom of Expression on Race and Faith at School
  • Aston University, British Educational Research Association (BERA) Conference.
  • University of Glasgow, European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) Conference.
• 2023: Exploring the Entanglements of Religion, Education, and Citizenship (University of Bristol, British Sociological Association SocRel Annual Conference).
• 2023: Collaborative and Participatory Methods (University of Birmingham, School of Education Research and Scholarship Conference).
• 2022: In Spatiality of Populism: Discourse of Tolerance as Symbolic Border (Aalborg University, Geographies of Populism in Europe Workshop).

Indicators of peer esteem

Since 2025: Co-Editor-in-Chief Turkish Area Studies Review

Since 2025: Editorial Board Member Race Ethnicity and Education

Since 2025: Council Member of the British Association for Turkish Area Studies

Since 2025: Policy and Curriculum Consultant to Runnymede Trust

Since 2025: Script Consultant for the Values for Cohesion Project

Since 2024: Member of the European Sociological Association

Since 2024: Academic Consultant to NASUWT Teachers’ Union

2024-25: Member of the Sociological Association of Ireland

Since 2023: Editorial Board Member Humanistic Perspective

Since 2023: Grant Assessor for the British Institute at Ankara

2023-24: Early Career Academics and Researchers (ECARs) Representative at the School of Education, University of Birmingham

Since 2022: Academic Mentor for the METU Alumni UK Association

2022-23: Academic consultant to the Birmingham Race Impact Group

Since 2017: Founder of Liverpool Turkish Society

Since 2017: Associate Fellow of The Higher Education Academy