The Polish-Turkish Studies Centre is pleased to introduce Dr Erdal Yıldırım, who arrived in Gdańsk in October as a visiting lecturer for the 2026/27 academic year. An Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education at Aksaray University, Dr Yıldırım is now teaching in the Global Studies programme at the University of Gdańsk.
His research explores how schools prepare young people for life in society and whether every pupil can feel that they belong. He focuses on citizenship education, refugee children and the role of schools in shaping social attitudes. A former teacher in eastern Türkiye, he later trained teachers to work with Syrian refugee children.
His stay in Gdańsk offers a chance to compare Turkish and Polish experiences of helping refugee children become part of their school communities, and to develop research and teaching cooperation between our universities.
Welcome to the University of Gdańsk, Erdal! We look forward to working together.
Polish-Turkish Studies Centre