Research Interests
- Immigration and refugee governance in Japan
- Frames and narratives of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
- Foreign labor force in Japan
- Critical peace theories
- Peacebuilding and conflict resolution in diverse societies
- Migration studies
- Social science of Japan
Professional and Volunteer Experience
| Feb 2025 – Present |
University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland: Doctoral Researcher: Agenda Setting and Framing of Immigration in Japan, 1975-2025 |
| Apr 2023 – Jan 2026 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Tokyo, Japan: Turkish Language Instructor, Foreign Service Training Institute |
| Oct 2022 – Dec 2026 |
Kawaguchi Municipality, Saitama, Japan: Consultant for Foreign Residents, Civic Life Department |
| Oct 2021 – Apr 2022 | The Embassy of Japan, Ankara, Türkiye: Project manager for Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) |
| Jun 2021 – Sep 2021 | Roma Rights Association, Ankara, Türkiye Volunteer for “Dream House” Project |
| Jun – Jul 2018 | Roma Rights Association, Ankara, Türkiye Volunteer for “Book&Toy Library” Project |
| Feb 2020 – Jul 2020 |
Kawaguchi Municipality, Saitama, Japan: Consultant for Foreign Residents, Civic Life Department |
Education
| Feb 2026 - present | Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zürich, Switzerland: Doctor of Philosophy, Japanese Studies |
| Oct 2023 – Sep 2025 | Waseda University, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Tokyo, Japan: Master of Arts, International Relations |
| Oct 2022 – Sep 2023 | Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo, Japan: Research student |
| Sep 2015 – Jul 2021 | Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Türkiye: Double major: Bachelor of Arts, Sociology and Bachelor of Arts, History |
Major Grants, Awards and Honors
| 15 Sep 2026 | Waseda University, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Tokyo, Japan: Certificate of Merit |
| 2023 | Waseda University, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Tokyo, Japan: Highest Honors List |
| 2022 – 2026 | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan: Full stipend for Master and PhD |
| Sep 2015 – Jul 2021 | The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK): Full stipend for undergraduate studies and research |
Publications
Kuplay, B. (2026). "Everyday Peace in Multicultural Neighborhoods: Immigrant Strategies from an Agonistic Peace Perspective". In: Sharifi, A., Candelaria, J.L., Simangan, D., Kaneko, S. (eds) Frameworks and Practices Towards a Sustainable and Peaceful Future. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-2310-8_7