I am a tenured professor of Architecture and Urbanism (Urban Design) at the Department of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). I have been the Director of EMU Urban Research and Development Center (URDC) (https://urdc.emu.edu.tr/en) since 2014. I am also an assigned Director of the Executive Board of EMU Press. I worked as a Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) as the Interim Director of Urban and Regional Planning (URP) Graduate Programs between 1 September 2018 – 31 May 2019, and I was the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at EMU between October 2010 – October 2016. My main research interests are Architectural and Urban Design Education; Urban Morphology; Sustainable Urbanism, SDGs and their role in Planning and Design-related Disciplines and Higher Education; Cultural Heritage Conservation, and Conservation of Industrial Heritage in Cyprus. My recent projects are Urban Design & Conservation Guidelines in Alsancak Village, Kyrenia, Cyprus; Nicosia Turkish Municipality Terminal Area – Urban Renewal, Improvement, and Design Project:  A Strategic Approach to Urban Design, Landscape Design of a Memorial Park in Nicosia and Linear Park and Pathways Design along the Pedieos River/Kanlıdere in Nicosia, Cyprus, all are research-based projects completed under EMU Urban Research and Development Center.  

Since joining ISOCARP, I have been actively and voluntarily involved in various events and activities of the Society. I took part in the preparations for the training event of ISOCARP for WUF11. I worked as a Congress Team member of the 58th ISOCARP Congress in 2022, co-coordinating Track 1 on Healthy People. This year, I am working in the Congress Team of the joint 5th Urban Economy Forum + 59th ISOCARP World Planning Congress (UEF5+WPC59) co-coordinating Track 1 on Acknowledge Community Values. Recently, I was selected as a Scientific Committee Member of ISOCARP for the next three years. Being a SciComm member, I am acting as a member of the Jury of the Gerd Albers Awards and also co-editor of the ISOCARP review. 

I believe ISOCARP is a very rich, dynamic organization, including valuable and devoted colleagues from all over the world working for a similar vision to ‘make cities and regions inclusive, safe, healthy, resilient, and sustainable through integrative participatory placemaking and urban & territorial planning’. It is a place for learning and sharing views and experiences. My enthusiasm for working voluntarily for/in ISOCARP is mainly to contribute to its vision and mission with all other members. If elected, I could and would like to also serve and support ISOCARP as a Board Member, carrying out my experiences at both administrational and academic levels to the Society, mainly supporting events/activities and publications while contributing to setting up new collaborations.