Nilay Kilinc

Dr. Nilay Kilinc is a Grant-funded researcher at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Social Sciences, affiliated with both the Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies (Urbaria) and the Helsinki Inequality Initiative (INEQ). She holds a PhD in Migration and Mobility Studies from the University of Surrey (UK), an MA in European Studies from Lund University (Sweden), and a BA in International Relations from Istanbul Bilgi University (Turkey).

Her research expertise spans highly skilled migration, Turkish migration in Europe, Nordic capitals and migrants, return migration, second-generation experiences, home and identity, transnationalism, and translocality. Dr. Kilinc uniquely combines academic scholarship with ethnographic filmmaking, having directed the documentary Arkasloch - Nobody's Problem (2022) which explores second-generation Turkish-German migrants' return migration to Turkey.

Her recent scholarly output reveals strong thematic continuity in migration studies with particular focus on Turkish diaspora communities across Europe. The publications demonstrate methodological diversity spanning ethnographic research, sensory methods, visual storytelling, and spatial analysis of migration patterns. Her work increasingly examines power dynamics in mobility trajectories, creative migrants' citizenship practices, and the complex interplay between deportation, citizenship, and belonging.

• Gerda Henkel Fellow (Postdoc)
• Pontica Magna Returning Fellow (Postdoc)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Center for Advanced Studies - South East Europe
• Pontica Magna Fellow (Postdoc)
• Guest Postdoc Research Fellow at University of Leipzig

As an educator, Dr. Kilinc has developed and taught two Master's level courses at the University of Helsinki: 'Migration and Cities' (2023) and 'Lifestyle Migration, Mobilities and Identities' (2024, co-organized with Florencia Quesada). She currently serves on the PhD thesis committees for Euridice Hernandez Gomez and Thu Nguyen. Her active research portfolio includes the externally funded project 'Creative Migrants' Acts of Citizenship and Democratic Participation in Finland' (2023-2026) where she serves as Principal Investigator.

Dr. Kilinc's scholarly activities extend beyond traditional academic boundaries through her engagement with media and public scholarship, including interviews, book launches, and discussions that bridge academic research with broader societal conversations about migration, integration, and belonging.