BAUMUS (Bahçeşehir University Migration and Urban Studies Application and Research Center) was established in 2014 with the aim of approaching migration and urban issues from an interdisciplinary perspective and producing original, applicable research in these fields. Since its establishment, BAUMUS has become one of the leading research centers in Turkey in this field with its national and international studies.
The center offers an inclusive and interdisciplinary approach to migration and urban studies, which are becoming increasingly complex and multidimensional in today's world, by bringing together different fields of social sciences. With its structure that enables joint production by academics and students from different disciplines such as sociology, political science, public administration, urban planning, architecture, anthropology, law, and communication, BAUMUS embraces pluralism and cooperation as its fundamental working principles.
BAUMUS does not limit scientific diversity to theoretical frameworks; it develops research models that are field-based, data-driven, realistic, and applicable. In this regard, the center conducts interdisciplinary academic studies on migration, asylum, refugeehood, disasters, crises, and urban issues in global, regional, and Turkish contexts. Additionally, it aims to enhance the university's international visibility by developing collaborations with centers, academics, and research institutions active at the national and international levels in these fields.
The center also considers it an important mission to contribute to the sharing of information and findings between universities and academics with state institutions, decision-makers, and practitioners on issues of migration, urbanization, crisis, and disaster. In this context, collaborations developed with various institutional actors support the production of knowledge on current issues and lay the groundwork for critical discussions.
Research activities are not limited to Istanbul, but have spread to an international sphere through branches in Berlin, Washington, Gaziantep, Antakya, and Urfa. Coordinated work with the Berlin Research Institute, in particular, has been an important step in increasing the center's global interaction capacity and research power.
BAUMUS does not limit its knowledge production to academic publications; it shares its findings with the public through interviews, symposiums, conferences, and training programs, aiming to create a constructive environment for interaction between researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society. The studies conducted specifically on Syrian refugees are concrete examples of the center's approach to the social, economic, and spatial issues arising from the intersection of migration and the city.
Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ulaş Sunata, BAUMUS continues to serve as a strong reference point, a space for critical thinking, and a center for producing practical solutions for researchers working on migration and cities both in Türkiye and internationally.
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