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As a senior sociologist with an extensive international academic career, Dr. Gokhan Savas has led and conducted research across a wide spectrum of sociological fields. His scholarship spans gender, race, and social class; academic achievement and attainment in postsecondary education; violence against women; the experiences of socially disadvantaged groups; international migration; and the lives and trajectories of the children of immigrants. His research consistently centers on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a particular commitment to analyzing how structural and institutional barriers shape life chances in education, employment, and broader social environments. His work has appeared in several respected journals, including the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Sexuality and Culture, Research in Higher Education, Frontiers in Sociology, and the British Journal of Sociology of Education.

He has taught at a wide range of institutions across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States, bringing global perspectives to the classroom and training students at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He has offered courses at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait, the Social Sciences University of Ankara in Türkiye, the University of Kassel in Germany, Luther College in the United States, Upper Iowa University, SUNY Cortland, and Syracuse University. His pedagogical portfolio includes introductory sociology, gender studies, research methodology, globalization, quantitative and qualitative methods, and specialized courses in family studies, domestic violence, and human rights.

Beyond his scholarly publications and teaching, he is deeply engaged in high-impact research management and policy-oriented consultancy. He has overseen every stage of complex research initiatives, including project design, development of research instruments, securing ethics approvals, supervising diverse research teams, conducting large-scale fieldwork, performing advanced data analysis, and producing evidence-based policy recommendations. He has served in major roles such as Principal Investigator, Senior Gender Expert, Gender Equality and Education Specialist, Regional Coordinator, and Senior Consultant. His projects have been supported by national and international organizations, including UNICEF, the European Union, the Turkish Ministry of National Education, the Turkish Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Customs and Trade, and several global and regional institutions. His work has contributed to national policy reforms, improved institutional practices, and shaped conversations on gender equality, education, and social inclusion.

Dr. Savas has substantial experience working with large-scale quantitative datasets and advanced statistical analysis. He is proficient in SPSS, STATA, and MAXQDA, and has received formal training from the United States National Center for Education Statistics on national datasets such as ELS, NELS, and the German Socio-Economic Panel. His methodological expertise extends to qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, including in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and participatory research techniques applied across diverse cultural and institutional contexts. This combination of methodological range and interdisciplinary orientation enables him to design and implement studies that address both theoretical questions and real-world policy challenges.

As an academic leader, he has held significant institutional roles, including Founding Chair of the Department of Sociology at the Social Sciences University of Ankara, Founding Director of the Center for Survey Research, and committee memberships at the American University of Sharjah in academic affairs, assessment, student research, admissions, and continuity planning. He is an Affiliated Scholar with the University of Michigan’s Diversity Scholars Network and serves on the editorial board of SAGE Open. His work has been supported by multiple grants, including externally funded research on women’s labor force participation in heavy industry and a major Faculty Research Grant at AUS on the transnational trajectories and identities of expatriate students in the United Arab Emirates.

He is committed to impactful public scholarship, effective communication, and cross-cultural engagement. He publishes and presents in English and Turkish, drawing on his bilingual fluency to collaborate with international research teams, government agencies, civil society organizations, and academic communities. His professional certifications further reflect his dedication to excellence in teaching and applied research, including his Fellowship in the Higher Education Academy in the United Kingdom, certification as an ILO Participatory Gender Audit facilitator, and training in online and innovative pedagogy.