Deniz Akin

Deniz Akin is a Senior Researcher at the Eastern Norway Research Institute (Østlandsforskning), affiliated with Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. She holds a PhD in Gender Studies from NTNU (2017) and was a postdoctoral fellow at NTNU as part of the 'Sharing Neighborhoods' project. Her work bridges migration studies, gender equality, and queer theory, with a focus on asylum policies, LGBTQ+ rights, and the sharing economy.

Education: PhD in Gender Studies (NTNU, 2017); Dissertation: Queer Challenges to Norwegian Immigration Policies. Research emphasizes legal and cultural barriers faced by queer asylum seekers, intersectionality in intimate partner violence, and urban sustainability through sharing economy practices.

Key Projects:

• 'Health and Life Quality Among Queers in Inland Norway'
• 'The Lighthouse Effect' (Rainbow Beacon Impact)
• TERA (Transnational Equality Research Alliance)

Her publications analyze queer asylum processes, neighborhood-level sharing economies, and intersections of gender, sexuality, and migration. Current research includes LGBTQ+ health disparities and policy advocacy in rural regions.