Gokcay Balci

Dr. Gokcay Balci is a Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor) in Sustainable Freight Transport and Logistics at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, within the Faculty of Environment. He joined Leeds in 2024, having previously held academic positions at the University of Bradford and University of Huddersfield (2019–2024). Prior to academia, he worked extensively in international shipping, logistics, and trade industries. He holds a PhD in Maritime Business Administration, an MSc in Maritime Management, and a BSc in Maritime Business Administration.

Research Focus: His work centers on three interconnected pillars:

• Decarbonisation of freight transport (road/maritime), green fuels, and net-zero supply chains
• Resilience in logistics systems amid geopolitical/economic disruptions
• Digitalisation through AI and smart technologies for sustainable logistics

He specializes in maritime logistics and SME applications, with research published in premier journals including Transportation Research Part E and Supply Chain Management.

Honors & Grants: Awarded the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant for investigating UK freight resilience post-COVID-19 and Brexit. Recognized as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).

Academic Leadership: Actively supervises PhD candidates in sustainability/digitalization topics and teaches freight transport/logistics courses. His industry-academia nexus informs research on real-world challenges in global supply chains.