Merve Erdilmen
Postdoctoral Fellow at the Montréal Centre for International Studies
- M.P.S. (McGill), Ph.D. (McGill)
Merve Erdilmen is a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-funded Postdoctoral Fellow at the Montréal Centre for International Studies (CERIUM). Her research examines forced migration, humanitarianism, and gender politics, with a focus on how refugees and local actors shape global governance. Merve’s work has appeared in Third World Quarterly, Global Studies Quarterly, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Refugee Survey Quarterly, and International Feminist Journal of Politics, among others.
Merve completed her doctoral studies in the Department of Political Science with Gender Studies Specialization at McGill University and was a research associate at GLOBALCIT at the European University Institute. She holds an MA in Political Science at McGill University and BA in philosophy and sociology at the Middle East Technical University and Sciences Po Paris undergraduate studies.
Merve joined LERRN in the summer of 2019 to support research project on the localization of humanitarian assistance in Tanzania.
“I was very keen on becoming involved with LERRN because I believe that there is always a great deal of things that we can gain from the collaboration, recognizing local histories and knowledge, and encouraging the refugees and various humanitarian actors’ participation in knowledge production and policymaking processes. LERRN’s commitment to genuine collaboration between partners, researchers, and refugees puts it in an exceptional position to realize what I have been interested in doing.
LERRN has given me a unique opportunity to have experience in observing the strengths and needs of local and international humanitarian actors in Tanzania, developing equal and ethical research partnership, conducting fieldwork, and being a part of an international team. My research placement has also led me to translate my theoretical training into practical use, which I particularly find essential for my professional development.”
Recent Publications
-
- Best paper award, Political Studies Association (PSA), Turkish Politics Group, 2023
- Second prize, McGill Refugee Research Group Graduate Student Essay Award, 2023
-
- Erdilmen, M. (2026). “Rethinking Feminist Alliances: Avoiding Feminist Discourses, but Advancing Gender Equality within Refugee Communities?” International Feminist Journal of Politics, 1-23.https://doi.org/10.1080/14616742.2026.2722672
- Erdilmen, M. (2025). “Against the Charge of Charity: Refugee-Led Organizations, Localization and Decolonizing Humanitarianism”* Third World Quarterly, 46(13): 1543-1564.
- Erdilmen, M., Milner, J., and Bradley, M. (2025). “Through the Localization Looking Glass: Seeing Subaltern Power in the Refugee Regime,” Global Studies Quarterly, 5(1)https://doi.org/10.1093/isagsq/ksaf011
- Erdilmen, M.(2024).“Empowering Syrian Refugee Women: The Impact of Gulf Donors’ Humanitarian Funding,” Forced Migration Review, Issue 74.
- Bradley, M., and Erdilmen, M. (2023). “Is the International Organization for Migration Legitimate? Rights-Talk, Protection Commitments and the Legitimation of IOM,” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 49(9): 2332-2354.
- Bradley, M., Madokoro, L., Erdilmen, M., and Chanco, C. (2022). “Whither the Refugees? The Evolution of the Idea and Pursuit of Durable Solutions to Displacement, 1921-1960,” Refugee Survey Quarterly, 41(2): 159-195.
- Kayran, E. and Erdilmen, M. (2020). “When Do States Give Voting Rights to Non-Citizens? The Role of Population, Policy, and Politics on the Timing of Enfranchisement Reforms in Liberal Democracies,” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 47(13), 2855-2876.
-
- Erdilmen, M. (Forthcoming, 2026). “Humanitarianism and Migration.” In The Routledge Companion to Humanitarian Action (2nd Edition). Routledge. Edited by Will Plowright and Nonhlanhla Dube.
- Chabot, R. and Erdilmen, M. (2023). “Voicing and Silencing in Tandem: Feminist Activism on Abortion in Argentina and Turkey”. In The Politics of Silence, Voice and the In-Between: Exploring Gender, Race and Insecurity from the Margins. Edited by Aliya Khalid, Georgina Holmes, and Jane Parpart. London: Routledge.
-
- Erdilmen, M. (2023). “Mainstreaming Gender to Remedy Inequality: Refugee-Led Organizations in Turkey Show the Way,” Policy brief no. 03.23.23. Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Houston, Texas.
- Erdilmen, M. (2021). “Frameworks and Good Practices of Intercultural Mediation for Migrant Integration in Europe,” International Organization for Migration (IOM): Brussels.
- Erdilmen, M. and Sosthenes, W. (2020). “Opportunities and Challenges for Localization of Humanitarian Action in Tanzania,” The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) Working Papers 8.
- Erdilmen, M. and Honohan, I. (2020). “Trends in Birthright Citizenship in EU 28: 2013-2020,” Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) Policy Briefs, 2020/2. European University Institute: Florence.
- Erdilmen, M. (2019). “Durable Solutions and Humanitarian Development Nexus,” The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) Working Papers 2.