Dr Celal Özkızan

Biography

Celal Özkızan is an Assistant Professor in International Relations and Politics at Northeastern University London. Celal received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Türkiye) in Political Science and Public Administration. His master’s dissertation was on economic policy preferences of business groups. Celal received his PhD from King’s College London in Political Economy and International Development. His PhD dissertation was on economic policy (in particular trade, industrial and agricultural), business groups and land reform within the context of broader social relations.

Qualifications

BA in Political Science and Public Administration, Middle East Technical University (2014)
MSc in Political Science and Public Administration, Middle East Technical University (2017)
PhD in Political Economy and International Development, King’s College London (2023)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2024)

Scholarship and Awards

Master of Science Success Grant, Ministry of Education of Northern Cyprus (2016)
PhD Scholarship Grant, European Commission (2019)
Teaching Excellence Award, King’s College London School of Global Affairs (2022)
Faculty Recognition Prize, Northeastern University London (2024)

Research

Celal’s research areas are politics of development and international political economy. He is especially interested in the following topics: power dynamics that underlie policy formulation process, state and big business relationships, state and market relationships, development strategies of developing economies, neoliberalism, political economy of conflict and violence, industrial relations, development theory, history of economic development, sustainable development and globalisation.

Celal’s research focus is global, although he is particularly interested in the following regions: Southern Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa. Celal uses both qualitative and quantitative methods in his research. He has engaged in in-depth interviews, archival work and historical research, primary and secondary source collection, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, content analysis, case studies, comparative research and phenomenological research.

Celal’s research is interdisciplinary. Accordingly, he is interested in collaborating with people from disciplines including business administration, economics, history, international relations, political science, public administration and sociology. Celal is especially interested in critical studies and heterodox approaches which aim to analyse broader social relations, power dynamics, material interests and historical context.

Celal is currently researching land reform, development, state and market relationship, nationalism, conflict as well as industrial and rural policy in the case of Cyprus.

Key Conference and Seminar Papers

Land Reform in Cyprus: A Case of Petty Commodity Production. Paper Presented 2023 IIPPE Annual Conference at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid (September 2023).

Why is Cyprus Divided? A Class Analysis of the Cyprus Conflict. Paper Presented at The European Consortium for Political Research General Conference at Charles University in Prague (September 2023).

Rethinking Sovereignty in a Small Island: Social Classes in the Cyprus
Problem. Paper Presented at the Third Emerging Scholars Workshop on De Facto States at University of Tartu, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies (April 2023).

Rethinking Sovereignty in Cyprus: Archrival Nationalisms or Competing Class Projects? Paper Presented at the Historical Materialism Conference 2019 at SOAS, London (November 2019).

Development: For Whom, How? Paper Presented at the Regional Meeting of Development Bank of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, GUKAD, Morphou. (July 2018).

Inflation of Identities. Speech Delivered at the Kick-off event of Research on Children’s Rights in Maastricht University Law Faculty, Maastricht (November 2017).

The Social Impact of Youth Unemployment in Europe and Cyprus. Paper presented at the Youth Unemployment in Cyprus Conference of The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and University of Nicosia, Nicosia (October 2016).

Ongoing Research Project

Boston Sustainability Hub Grant 2025 with Dr Callum Barrell and Dr Diana Bozhilova. The grant will enable NU London to develop its community outreach partnership engagement aims and objectives through networked events in 2025.