Karina Goulordava
Ph.D. Candidate (Koç University)
| Degrees: | MA (American University of Beirut) |
| Office: | Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey |
| LinkedIn: | Connect |
Karina Goulordava is currently completing her Ph.D. in Sociology at Koç University in Istanbul and is affiliated with the Migration Research Center at Koç University (MiReKoc). Her research focuses on studying the linkages between migration and urbanization processes, particularly in Istanbul and Beirut. Previously she completed her Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy at the American University of Beirut. Additionally, she has worked as a practitioner and a researcher in the humanitarian and development sector with MENA and European-based organizations.
Panel 5: Displacement in Eurasia: Beyond Ukrainians
Not Digital Nomads: Displaced and Self-Exiled Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian IT Specialists in Georgia and Turkey
(4:35-22:13)
Media reports and IT sector-related studies estimate that tens of thousands of IT specialists left Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion. The war on Ukraine also intensified an existing outflow of IT workers from Russia and Belarus, now self-exiling in neighboring countries, particularly in Georgia and Turkey. This talk presents ongoing research on the motives and strategies of the displaced and self-exiled IT specialists, as well as the reactions of Georgian and Turkish governments and industry stakeholders to the arrival of these specialists. Our joint findings are based on a media review and interviews with relevant stakeholders and Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian IT specialists.