Biography
Seref Kavak is a PhD candidate in Politics and International Relations at the Research Institute for Social Sciences at Keele University. He received his B.A in Political Science and International Relations at Marmara University and M.A in Modern Turkish History at Bogazici University in Istanbul with his thesis titled “The Democratic Society Party as a ‘Party for Turkey’: Official and Grassroots Politics of a Changing Identity (2005-2009)” which examines the transformation of a pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey with regard to the tensions between ethnicity and national integrity. For one term he taught English and political history in Turkey. He currently researches Kurdish diaspora associations in Britain and focusing on their strategies and mechanisms for political mobilisation of the diasporan community and its implications for the broader scope of the Kurdish Question in Turkey. His main areas of interest are identity politics, cultural anthropology, (transnational) social movements, social history, ethnic studies, Kurdish studies, Turkish politics, political sociology and ideologies. Seref is fond of ethnic and choral music and have sung in a number of polyphonic choirs.