Curriculum Vitae:

Research & Teaching Assistantships

2025 - Present
Universtiy of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Economics
Research & Teaching Assistant

2023 - 2025
Bogazici University, Department of International Trade
Research & Teaching Assistant
INTT 375 Risk and Insurance (B.A.)
INTT 228 Applied Statistics II (B.A.)
INTT 227 Applied Statictics I (B.A.)

2021 - 2023
Bogazici University
Research Assistant
I conducted a research project under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arhan S. Ertan, funded by Tubitak. The study primarily examined how 
ethno-religious differences shape these personal traits, drawing on both historical and contemporary economic and political factors to provide a comprehensive analysis. 

2021 - 2023
Bogazici University, Department of Economics
Teaching Assistant in ECONFIN Master Program
EF 507 Quantitative Methods For Ec. & Finance (M.A.)
EF 503 Open Economy Macroeconomics (M.A.
EF 501 Microeconomics (M.A.)
 

Education

2025 - Present
Ph.D. in Economics
University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
Department of Economics

2021 - 2024
Master in Economics
Bogazici University, Turkey
Thesis: Driving Forces of Human Migration: A Global Analysis of Colonial Era

2016 - 2021
BA in Management with Minor in Economics
Bogazici University, Turkey

Honours and Awards:

2021 - 2023
Graduate Scholarship of The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) 
Supporting Successful Graduate Students' Research in Turkey

2021
High Honor Degree
For students at Bogazici University with an undergraduate GPA of. 3.50 or higher

Fields of Research:

• International Migration
• Applied Econometrics
• Historical Economics

Projects:

Working Papers

Land, Power and Population Density in the Global Population Shifts of 1500 – 1960 (with Arhan S. Ertan, Louis Putterman) 

This study examines the dynamics of human migration during the Colonial Era (1500–1960) using a novel dependent variable, ”Descendent Share,” derived from the World Migration Matrix, and an origin-destination model to analyze bilateral migration factors. 

Ancestry Composition Distance  (with Arhan S. Ertan & Eren Erbatli)

This paper develops a new ancestry-based cultural distance measure and examines its association with contemporary cross-country outcomes. Using historical ancestry shares with genetic and cultural-sphere classifications, the study measures the distance between country pairs in terms of ancestral composition.

Environmental Stress and International Migration from MENA (with Arhan S. Ertan & Basak Yavcan )

This study examines how long-term environmental trends influence global migration dynamics. 

Bonds and Shocks: Uncovering the Drivers of International Migration to OECD Countries (with Arhan S. Ertan)

This paper studies migration from non-OECD origins to OECD destinations between 1990 and 2020 using a gravity framework.

Publications:

• Akren, Mehmet B.; Ertan, Arhan S.; Puttermann, L.: Land, Power and Population Density in the Global Population Shifts of 1500 – 1960. In: Ruhr Economic Papers (2026), No 1221. doi:10.4419/96973406 Details Full textCitation

Conferences:

Workshops & Conference Presentations

• COMPIE 2026 Conference of Europaen Commission (Selected for Paper Presentation), June 2026
• Piraeus International Economic Conference (Selected for Paper Presentation), June 2026
• 21th International Conference of MEEA (Selected for Paper Presentation), November 2025
• International TGU (Turkish-German University) Economics Conference 2025 (Selected for Poster Presentation), September 202
• LORDE 2025 Workshop (Selected for Paper Presentation) Marseille, March 2025
• FReDA Autumn School, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, October 2024
• Structural Econometrics Masterclass, Tilburg University, November 2023