معرفی
Dr. Gül Özerol is an Associate Professor and policy scientist at the University of Twente's Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), specifically within the Department of Governance and Technology for Sustainability (BMS-TPS-CSTM). With over 20 years of research and teaching experience spanning the Middle East and Europe, she has established herself as a leading expert in sustainability governance who actively bridges academic research with practical implementation through collaboration with non-academic organizations.
Her educational background includes:
- PhD in Policy Science from the University of Twente
- MSc in Integrated Assessment from the University of Osnabrück, Germany
- MSc in Industrial Engineering from the Middle East Technical University, Turkey
Dr. Özerol's research focuses on the intersection of sustainability, peace, and justice, with particular expertise in water, energy, and climate governance across multiple continents. Her work emphasizes transdisciplinary approaches and knowledge co-production with diverse stakeholders including local authorities in the North Sea Region, ministries, and NGOs in Palestine. She has developed significant expertise in participatory governance models that address complex sustainability challenges while promoting equity in politically sensitive contexts.
Her publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on contextual water management, policy transfer, and transdisciplinary research approaches. The themes across her work reveal a strong commitment to understanding how governance innovations can address sustainability challenges while promoting social justice and equity, particularly in water-stressed regions.
Dr. Özerol serves in significant editorial roles, having been the senior editor of Fanack Water (2016-2023) covering water and climate issues in the Middle East and North Africa, and currently serves as editor for the journals Environment and Security and Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.
As an educator, she has supervised numerous PhD and master's students and currently serves as the educational director of the MSc programme in Environmental and Energy Management (MEEM) since 2022. Her leadership extends to major research projects including GOVAQUA (2023-2027), where she serves as project manager for the University of Twente and leads work packages on participatory approaches to sustainable water use, and previous projects like CATCH, C5a, and PADUCO.
Her collaborative work spans institutions across Europe, North America, and the Middle East, reflecting her commitment to international knowledge exchange and capacity building, particularly in conflict-affected regions like Palestine where she co-founded the Palestinian-Dutch Academic Cooperation Programme on Water (PADUCO).
