Derya Yüksek, PhD
Transformative Communication Specialist
I work at the intersections of communication, media, art, education, and conflict transformation. Through workshops, creative projects and collaborative processes, I design transformative learning experiences that foster critical awareness, dialogue, and collective imagination.
Carried out in collaboration with experienced media-makers, artists, and creatives, our activities at Common Horizons bring together research-driven insights and participatory methods to explore how emerging technologies and human creativity can be combined for more ethical, inclusive, and regenerative futures.
Designing transformative dialogues using media, embodiment, and imagination practices
At a Glance
Dr. Derya Yüksek is a researcher, lecturer, facilitator, and interdisciplinary creative practitioner bridging communication and media with arts, technology, and peacebuilding.With a PhD in Communication and Media Studies from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and years of experience in developing and managing international cultural and educational projects, her work explores how media, emerging technologies, participatory methodologies and dialogue-based practices can contribute to more inclusive, innovative, and positively transformative futures.
She develops and facilitates workshops, trainings, and interdisciplinary learning experiences for schools, NGOs, cultural institutions, youth programs, and international organizations, focusing particularly on critical AI literacy, social imagination, conflict transformation, intercultural dialogue, and creative participation. Her approach combines academic research with artistic and embodied practices, integrating storytelling, role-play, collaborative media-making, movement-based reflection, and imaginative thinking into participatory learning environments.
PhD in Communication and Media Studies
(Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
MA in Political Science (University of Trieste, Italy)
BA in Business Administration
(Middle East Technical University, Turkey)
Areas of Specialisation (Academic)
Critical Communications Research
Media and Participation
Media and Youth Participation
Media and Culture, Media and Conflict Transformation Conflict Analysis / Participation Analysis
Participatory Communication / Participatory Process Design, Participatory Research Methodologies Creativity and Innovation in Science Communication
Areas of Specialisation (Non-academic / Administrative)
Project Development and Management
Project Communication
Inter-university Collaborations
Academia-Civil Society Partnerships
Selected Publications
