Ceren Ozgen

Ceren Ozgen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Birmingham, affiliated with the Birmingham Business School. She is the University of Birmingham director of the Big Data and Economics Research Network (BVRN), a collaborative initiative with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, focused on data-driven research in urban, environmental, labour, and migration economics.

Education:

• PhD in Economics, VU University Amsterdam, 2008–2013
• MSc in Economics, University of Trento, Italy, 2004–2005

Her research lies at the intersection of labour and urban economics, with a strong emphasis on international migration, firm innovation, technological change, skills mismatch, and green innovation. She has published extensively in top-tier journals and her work has been supported by prestigious grants, including an ESRC/UKRI award of £1.4 million for the Diversity and UK Firm Performance project. Her recent publications highlight a growing focus on sustainability, green jobs, and the impact of automation on labour markets.

The body of her recent work reveals a consistent trend in applying big data and advanced econometric methods to assess how demographic and technological changes affect urban economies and firm performance. Her research spans migration policy, eco-innovation, and intergenerational mobility, often leveraging large-scale national datasets.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship (European Commission)
• Research Fellow, IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Professional Roles and Grants:
Dr. Ozgen leads the BVRN and serves on the ESRC Peer Review College and Royal Economic Society Peer Learning Sets. She has acted as an external reviewer for research councils in Luxembourg, Canada, Singapore, and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation. Her grant for the Diversity and UK Firm Performance project underscores her leadership in collaborative, policy-relevant research.

Labs and Research Networks:
She is actively involved with IRiS (Institute for Research into Superdiversity) and co-directs the Big Data and Economics Research Network (BVRN), fostering interdisciplinary and international research collaborations focused on urban and economic challenges.