Zehra Altınay

Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay serves as Full Professor and Head of the Department of Educational Sciences at Near East University's Atatürk Faculty of Education. She concurrently holds leadership positions as Member of the Graduate Education Institute Board of Directors, Head of the Social Research and Development Center (affiliated with the Center of Excellence), and Chair of the University's Disability Rights Monitoring Committee. Previously, she led the Department of Computer and Educational Technology Education where she conducted crucial accreditation efforts.

Her academic qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Relations and Advertising, Faculty of Communication
• Master's degree in Educational Sciences with focus on distance education roles
• Doctorate in Educational Administration (2008, Near East University) on total quality management in distance education
• Doctorate in Educational Technologies (2010, Middlesex University) on course design and communication in online learning

Prof. Dr. Altınay's research program centers on transforming educational access through three interconnected pillars: Disability-Inclusive Frameworks, Technological Integration, and Organizational Innovation. Her pioneering work in barrier-free education technologies has established new standards for accessible learning environments. The Social Research and Development Center she leads produces actionable research on children and women with disabilities while developing practical resources for barrier-free tourism and education. Her scholarship uniquely bridges organizational behavior theory with educational technology implementation, particularly examining communication dynamics in virtual learning ecosystems during crisis periods like the pandemic.

As an active educator, she mentors students through undergraduate courses in Classroom Management and Barrier-Free Technologies, and graduate-level instruction in Organizational Culture and Information Management. Her scholarly impact is evidenced by over 1,000 citations, with recent publications focusing on institutional collaboration models and socially-beneficial technology applications. She serves as editor and reviewer for leading international journals in disability and inclusive education fields, shaping discourse through rigorous academic stewardship.

The Social Research and Development Center operates as her primary research hub, conducting field studies with educational institutions and disability advocacy groups across multiple countries. Current initiatives include developing open educational resources for inclusive classrooms and creating assessment frameworks for barrier-free tourism infrastructure. These projects involve interdisciplinary teams of researchers, practitioners, and community stakeholders, reflecting her commitment to collaborative knowledge production that directly serves societal needs.