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Who gets to move, belong, participate and have a fair chance?

I study how migration, technology, institutions, policies, places and social relationships shape people’s access to rights and opportunities.

Get to know me Projects Publications

Portrait of Tuba Bircan in an embroidered white blouse

Get to know me

A methodologist who works for people

I am a methodologist and computational social scientist. For more than 15 years I have combined quantitative, computational and qualitative research in mixed-methods designs. My work is for people: I study hard-to-reach populations, with a strong focus on intersectionality, and I work on the ethics of AI as well as the ethics of research itself. I often bring the social sciences and humanities into technical projects and teams.

Ankara · startEach line is a move

I am also a proud migrant: seven cities in five countries so far, from Ankara to Cambridge.

I have always loved small cities and I am fascinated by people's stories, so I listen and observe. I believe everybody should have equal opportunities and access to their rights, and I try to fight inequality wherever I can.

Besides my roles at VUB, I am affiliated with the Education and Society Research Unit at KU Leuven.

I am a mother of two boys who brag about their mom being a scientist. My biggest challenge is raising them as fair and caring people.

Tuba Bircan giving a talk at a lectern at the Rethinking Complex Migration conference

Tuba Bircan laughing in conversation with colleagues

Tuba Bircan speaking into a microphone on a conference panel

Projects

Projects, past and present

Funded projects, from EU Horizon consortia to national studies. They cover many topics, but the same strengths run through them. Pick one to see where it shows up. For EU Horizon projects, the CORDIS link opens the official record with every result and deliverable.

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Running now

Completed

Publications & writing

Selected publications

A selection across my main lines of work. The full list, with links and PDFs, has its own page.

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In plain words

✦ AI-assisted summaries

Impact

Research that changes practice

I translate research for the people who make decisions: policymakers, statistical offices, international organisations, industry and the public.

Shaping policy

European Child GuaranteeMigrant-children expert in the European Commission’s feasibility study that prepared the 2021 Council Recommendation establishing the Child Guarantee. Report ↗
Counting the uncountedFor the World Bank’s KNOMAD, a method that links death and population registers to estimate how many people live in Belgium without being registered. Paper ↓
Closing migration data gapsPolicy brief for EU and national statistical offices on what migration data is missing and how to fill it (HumMingBird). Brief ↓

Building evidence infrastructure

Irregular migration databasePublic database of irregular migration estimates across Europe, with handbooks for policymakers (MIrreM). Database ↗
Measuring homelessness in BelgiumA method to count and describe homeless people, developed for the federal science policy office (MEHOBEL). Report ↓
New data for migration policyGuidance on using mobile phone and other digital data responsibly, for IOM practitioners and EU policymakers. IOM handbook ↗ White paper ↓

Responsible AI

Responsible AI Governor for BelgiumGlobal Council for Responsible AI.
Ethical Board, AI Excellence CentreAdvising the Flemish employment agency VDAB on the ethical use of AI.
Bias in asylum technologyEvidence that automated speech recognition misrepresents refugees in interviews, informing debates on AI in asylum procedures. Article ↗

Talks & media

Podcasts, talks and lectures

Tuba Bircan giving a talk on big data with a headset microphone in front of a large slide

Team & mentoring

The people I work with

I head the AI, Migration and Society (AIMS) Lab and direct BRISPO, the Brussels Institute for Social and Population Studies, at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. I see myself as a facilitator of learning, and much of my favourite work happens with the researchers below.

Tuba Bircan with members of the AIMS Lab, smiling around a slide in a park in Paris — Part of the AIMS Lab at the IMISCOE 2024 conference in Paris

PhD researchers

Ten doctoral researchers I currently supervise or co-supervise.

Graduated PhDs

Doctors I supervised or co-supervised.

Ahmad Wali Ahmad Yar with the jury after his PhD defence at Vrije Universiteit Brussel — Ahmad Wali Ahmad Yar after his PhD defence at VUB, November 2023

Pre-doctoral researchers

Master's students on the pre-doctoral trajectory.

Advisory & service

Where my expertise is put to work

Beyond research, I advise public bodies, evaluate research for funders and help run the journals of my field.

Tuba Bircan speaking at a podium in a European Union meeting room

Tuba Bircan speaking from the panel table in a European Union meeting room

Advisory roles

Ethical Board, AI Excellence CentreFlemish Employment and Vocational Training Agency (VDAB)

Expert evaluation

External expertEuropean Commission
Research funding evaluationBelgian, French and Polish funding agencies

Editorial

Editorial boardHumanities and Social Sciences Communications (Nature Portfolio)
Guest editorFrontiers in Human Dynamics (2023) and Social Sciences (2022), special issues on big data and migration

Events