Natalia Khanenko-Friesen is an oral historian and cultural anthropologist currently serving in the roles of the director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies and Huculak Chair in Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography, both in the Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta, Canada. Her research interests include oral history, vernacular culture, diasporic and ethnic identities, labor migration, and immigrant letter writing. She authored or (co)edited the following books monographs, "Ukrainian Otherlands: Diaspora, Homeland and Folk Imagination in the 20th Century (U of Wisconsin Press, 2015); "The other world, or ethnicity in action: Canadian Ukrainianness at the end of the 20th century" (Smoloskyp Press, 2011); "Orality and Literacy: Reflections Across Disciplines" (U of Toronto Press, 2011) and "Reclaiming the Personal: Oral History in Post-Socialist Europe" (U of Toronto Press, 2015). Dr. Khanenko-Friesen is the founding editor of Canada's scholarly journal Engaged Scholar Journal: Community-Engaged Research, Teaching and Learning. Her current book project has the working title “Decollectivized: The Last Generation of Soviet Farmers Speak Out." Since February 24, 2022, she coordinates a number of scholarly initiatives focusing on war testimony research, including hosting the summer oral history institute "Witnessing the War in Ukraine," Krakow, Poland.

Larysa Hayduk is the Director of the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre (URDC) at MacEwan University. She leads interdisciplinary, community-engaged initiatives that promote cross-cultural collaboration through relationship-building, experiential learning, and reciprocity. Under her leadership, URDC has grown significantly and launched several Ukraine-focused initiatives, including the Canada-Ukraine Model United Nations, the Gene Zwozdesky Artist in Residence, and the Visiting Scholar program. Larysa has co-developed an international service-learning program, co-taught land-based Indigenous culture courses in partnership with kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre and founded MacEwan’s Interdisciplinary Dialogue project. Her current research explores Indigenous-settler relations and the lived experiences of Ukrainian mothers displaced by war. Larysa is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Community Champion Award from the Edmonton Mennonite Centre and the Alberta Newcomer Recognition Award from the Alberta government.

Prof. Dr. Gayana Yuksel is a Member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Doctor of Science in Social Communications/ She is the Professor at the Department of Journalism of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Philology and Journalism at V.I. Vernadsky Taurida National University (Kyiv). In 2007 Gayana Yuksel defended the PhD thesis "The Crimean Tatar Press of 1917-1928: Trends and National Identity" in Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University. In 2024 she defended of the Professor's dissertation "The Crimean Information and Media Paradigm in the Context of the Occupation of Crimea (February 2014 – February 2022): Transformation of the Media Sphere and Ukraine's Information Policy," for the degree of Doctor of Science in Social Communications. She is an author of 5 monographs, over 80 publications (articles and conference abstracts), participated in more than 100 scientific and scientific-practical conferences, and organized and participated in nearly 130 public events. Gayana Yuksel was the founder and editor-in-chief of the Crimean News Agency (QHA) and Radio Hayat (Life). After the occupation of Crimea in 2014, the Crimea news agency was forced to leave Crimea and has continued its work in Kyiv.

Ph.D. student in Indigenous Crimean Tatar Studies at the Faculty of Native Studies (FNS), and the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), University of Alberta. Nara has her MA in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the U.S. Nara is Crimean Tatar – the Indigenous People of Ukraine. Nara’s research focuses on the experiences of Crimean Tatars, particularly in the context of their resistance to colonial and imperialist forces, their displacement, and toponymy in Crimea.

Dr. Taner Zorbay raised in Ankara, Türkiye, completed BA in History (1996), and MA in International Relations (2000) at Middle East Technical University (Ankara, TR). After a long career in the public and private sector, got a PhD from Ankara University (TITE) in the field of political history (2016). At METU, works as a lecturer at the Department of History since 2012, and as the Advisor to the President, and the Dean of Students since August 2024. Besides professional/academic career, engages with NGO works, as well as travelling as out-of-office activities. Academic studies focus on the Balkans, Crimea, the Caucasia, and the neighboring regions. Religion, nationalism, migration, human rights, geopolitics are different issues of his research.

Lawyer. Vice President of Crimean Tatar Culture and Mutual Aid Association in Türkiye. Secretary General of World Congress of Crimean Tatars.

Member of Crimean Tatar Culture and Mutual Aid Association since 1992. Member of establishing committee of Turkish-Ukrainian Friendship Association. Member of Crimean Tatar Foundation and Emel Crimean Foundation.

Shelby LaFramboise is a Métis iskwew from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and the eldest daughter of Shelton & Bernice LaFramboise. She currently lives in amiskwaciywaskahikanak territory and is a proud mother of three adult children. She is an assistant professor in Studio Arts & cross appointed with kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre at MacEwan University, Canada. Shelby’s creative works lend to community relationships with the use of narrative inquiry and story through various creative mediums to bring community, place and people together. She continues to question the threads we weave through the legacy of placelessness, place & belonging on our human walk.

Métis from the Batoche Homeland and an associate professor and associate dean (graduate studies) in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, Canada on Treaty Six Territory and in the Métis Homelands. His research, publications, and teaching explores the Métis (Indigenous) experiences of religion and spirituality, and the legacy of colonial discourses on Indigenous and ethno-cultural minorities. Grounded in Métis Studies and Indigenous Studies as well as Religious Studies, Gareau’s work focuses on theory and methodology around relationality, gender, Indigenous onto-epistemologies, land and place, nationhood/peoplehood, and sovereignty/self-determination.

Lindsey Whitson (MA, MLIS) is a Health & Community Studies Librarian at MacEwan University, collaborating closely with faculty, staff, and students in Social Work, Child and Youth Care, and Physical Education. As the librarian for kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre, she amplifies Indigenous voices and knowledge through culturally responsive collections, services, teaching and learning opportunities, and research support. As the librarian for the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre, she supports initiatives that celebrate community and promote intercultural dialogue. Through leadership and advocacy on cooperative projects like Interdisciplinary Dialogue and StoryWalk @ MacEwan, she strives to create spaces and opportunities that welcome and empower community members both on and beyond campus.

Professor Sezai Özçelik graduated from Ankara University's Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of International Relations in 1994. In 1995, he received a scholarship from the Ministry of National Education, enabling him to pursue his master's and doctoral studies in the United States. He completed his Master's degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution at the American University School of International Studies (SIS) in Washington D.C. in 1996. He then earned his Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University's School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (SCAR) in Virginia in 2004. Professor Özçelik also completed his coursework for a Master's degree (excluding the thesis) in Public Administration and Urban and Environmental Sciences at Ankara University's Social Sciences Institute, a program he began in 1995. Between 2012 and 2013, he was a visiting researcher/lecturer at the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies (CPRS) at Coventry University in the UK through a post-doctoral research grant from the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). During his time in the US, he taught a graduate course in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Since 2009, he has been a faculty member in the Department of International Relations at Çankırı Karatekin University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.

Filiz Tutku Aydın is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Social Sciences University of Ankara. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto in 2012 and taught there. She contributed to the preparation of the open letter of scholars protesting the annexation of Crimea (scholarsforqirim.com). She returned to Turkey in 2014 as part of the returning scholars program of TUBITAK (Turkish Scientific Research Institution). She has published a book titled "Émigré, Exile, Diaspora and Transnational Movements of Crimean Tatars: Preserving the Eternal Flame of Crimea" published by Palgrave. She has published in Communist and Post-Communist Studies, Nordic Journal for Migration Research and several journals in Turkey and Ukraine. She has several books, book chapters on international relations perspective on Crimean issue and history of Crimean Tatars published in English, Turkish, Romanian, German and Crimean Tatar and a photo exhibition on inter-war Crimean Tatar diaspora in Romania. She completed a research project on "Protection and Enforcement of Minority Rights in the Post-Soviet Space between 1991-2014" between 2015-2018 and participated in another research project on "Forced Migration from Ukraine and Occupied Crimea to Turkey during Russia’s War in Ukraine" between 2023-2024, funded by TUBITAK and Social Sciences University of Ankara. She also contributed preparing the open letter of "Turkish academicians protesting against the Russian attack on Ukraine". Her research areas include diaspora history, diaspora identity, transnational politics, ethnicity, nationalism and social movements in the post-communist space.

Olga Sharagina is director of the Institute of Philology and Journalism of V.I. Vernadsky Taurida National University, Kyiv, Ukraine has a PhD in Philology. Scientific interest is the study of Ukrainian poetry of the second half of the XXth century, in particular the “silent poetry” of the 1960–80’s. She has got more than 20 scientific works. Sharagina is the author of the monograph “Phenomenon of Ukrainian “silent poetry” in 60–80’s of the XXth century”. Recent publications: “Poetic Modification of a Fairy Tale in the Poetry Reception of the Ethnographic Code of “Silent Poetry””, “Lyrical Interpretation of Ornithological Images in the Ethnographic Code of “Silent Poetry” of the 60–80’s of the XXth century”, “Poetic Interpretation of the Cult of the Leader in the Aesthetic Code of “Silent Poetry””.

Historian, Department of National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Was born in Simferopol, Crimea. A historian of Crimea and Crimean Tatars with a focus on Soviet and post-Soviet periods. In 2021 he defended a PhD dissertation entitled “Crimean Tatars’ Return to the Homeland in 1956–1989”. His research interests include (but not limited to): oral history, memory, trauma, identity, migration and colonialism. Fulbright Research and Development program (2017, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) alumni. Current fellow at Indiana University, Linda Hall Library (Kansas) and Virtual Ukraine Institute for Advanced Study. One of the authors of Online course “Crimea: History and People”. He is an expert of the council on cognitive de-occupation at the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.  

Prof. Hakan Kırımlı earned his BA (Economics) and MA (History) degrees at Hacettepe University/Ankara between 1976 and 1985. Kırımlı graduated from the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1990, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in History. Since 1991, he has been employed by the Department of International Relations at Bilkent University in Ankara. He was a visiting scholar at Harvard University (2000) and Stanford University (2016). His primary research interests are the history of Turkic and Muslim peoples of the Russian Empire, with a particular emphasis on the Crimean Tatars, as well as Turko-Russian and Turko-Ukrainian relations. He was elected as a full member of the Turkish Historical Society in 1995. He was a visiting faculty member at the Harvard University Ukrainian Studies Institute in the 2000-2001 academic year and at Stanford University in 2016. Specializing in Crimean Tatars, Volga (Volga) Tatars, and Caucasian peoples, Dr. Kırımlı has published numerous articles and books. Among other honors, he was awarded the "Cross of Ivan Mazepa" by the President of Ukraine in 2023 and the Special Award by the Turkish Academy of Sciences in History.

Prof. Dr. Zühal Yüksel, a faculty member of the Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literatures of the Faculty of Letters at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. In 1982, she started her master's program at Gazi University, and then she started to work as a Turkish Language instructor at Hacettepe University. In 1985, she graduated from her master's degree at Gazi University with thesis “Polatlı Kerç and Çongar Tatar Dialects” under the advisory of Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bican Ercilasun and started her doctorate again at Gazi University in 1990. In 1992, Zühal Yüksel graduated from the doctorate program with thesis “Verb in Crimean, Kazan and Bashkir Turks” under the advisory of Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bican Ercilasun. After her first visit to motherland Crimea, she founded the Department of Crimean Tatar Language and Literature at Crimean Engineering and Pedagogical University and taught in this department. Since her student years, Prof. Dr. Zühal Yüksel has worked at the Emel Crimean Foundation, the Crimean Turks Culture and Solidarity Association Headquarters and the Crimean Foundation. Apart from Crimea, she has also participated in scientific meetings in such countries as Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus and Turkistan.

In 1994, Enver Aydoğan began his academic career as a research assistant at Gazi University. He completed his master's degree in the Business Administration program at the Institute of Social Sciences of the same university, and his PhD in the Management and Organization program at the Institute of Social Sciences of Selçuk University. In 2002, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor at Gazi University. He became an Associate Professor in 2006, and was awarded the title of Professor in 2011. Aydoğan is currently a faculty member at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration. Aydoğan has published books, served as an editor of various books, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, as well as symposium and conference papers. Aydoğan is a board member of the Turkish Cooperative Association and the Crimean Foundation. He is the Chair of the Supervisory Board of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars. Aydogan has emphasized the acquisition of democratic and legal rights for the Crimean Tatar people at many international congresses, conferences, symposiums, and workshops. He has drawn attention to violations of human rights, freedom, and the right to life concerning the Crimean Tatar people.

Candidate of Social Communications, Associate Professor, Head of Journalism Department of Scientific and Study Philology and Journalism Institute of V. I. Vernadsky Taurida National University. The author more than 60 scientific works: articles, books, manuscripts. Member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. Member of the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education of Ukraine. Researcher of Internet communications, content, applied communication technologies

Textbooks:

Dosenko A., Pogrebnyak I. Internet journalism: communicative markers. -K, 2020, 180 p.

Dosenko A.K., Sytnyk O.V. Cross-media journalism: technologies, functioning. Educational and methodological manual. Kryvyi Rih, 2022, 178 p.

In 2003 Işılay Sava graduated from the Tatar-Bashkir department of the Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literatures at Gazi University. The same year, she got her MA in the Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects at Gazi University, Institute of Social Sciences. In 2005, she started working as a Research Assistant in the Department of Northwestern Turkish Dialects at Gazi University, Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literatures. After defending her MA thesis “Characteristics of Crimean Tatar Turkish in Wilhelm Radloff's Compilations (Proben)” in 2008, she enrolled in the PhD program in the Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects at Gazi University, Institute of Social Sciences. In 2009, she was in the Republic of Bashkortostan as part of the Student Exchange Cultural Program and received training on Bashkir Turkish and Bashkir culture in a 15-day program. In 2012, she attended a 7-day program to present a paper at the Turkology Symposium held in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the death of the Crimean Tatar poet Shakir Selim and to develop her knowledge regarding her doctoral thesis. In 2015, she defended her doctoral thesis “Poems of the Crimean Tatar Poet Shakir Selim (Text-Translation-Analysis)”. Since 2018, Işılay Sava has been working at the Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects in the Faculty of Letters at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University.

Tamila Seitiahiaieva, Crimean Tatar, was born in deportation in Uzbekistan . In 1989 she moved with her parents and grandmother to Crimea, first lived in the Chernomorsky district of Crimea, since 1991 lived in the city of Simferopol, graduated from high school in 1991 and entered the Simferopol State University at the faculty of Crimean Tatar philology, in 1994 her parents moved to the city of Simferopol, in 1996 she graduated from the university. After graduating from the university she worked in schools and gymnasiums of Crimea, taught Crimean Tatar language and literature, translated literary works from the Crimean Tatar language, in 2011 she entered the postgraduate course on the specialty of Crimean Tatar literature, in 2014 she graduated from the postgraduate course and defended her thesis on Crimean Tatar literature. She worked at the Research Institute of Crimean Tatar Philology at the KSPU in Simferopol, as well as at the Department of Crimean Tatar Literature. In March 2017, she moved to the city of Kyiv, since 2017 she worked as a teacher of Crimean Tatar language and literature in Vernadsky TNU. Doctor of Philosophy. Since 2024 she has been the head of the Department of Crimean Tatar philology at Vernadsky TNU. At present she is engaged in scientific, lecturing and administrative activities at the university, the author of translations of works of Crimean Tatar literature into Ukrainian, the author of scientific articles on Crimean Tatar literature and translation studies, Crimean Tatar language.

Medical Doctor and specialist in Clinical Biochemistry. She has worked in various laboratories and institutions across different parts of Türkiye and in the United States. Alongside her medical profession, she has always had a keen interest in literature.

Serra Menekay’s first novel, "Aluşta'dan Esen Yeller", which tells the story of her own family’s and the Crimean Turks’ exile during World War II and their incredible struggle afterward, was published in 2015. This novel marked the beginning of her writing career. Menekay has since authored a total of 7 historical novels, one research and analysis book; two memoir books; a poetic storybook; and a children's book series, making a total of 13 published books. Her novels related to Crimea, Aluşta'dan Esen Yeller and Şefika, have been translated into Ukrainian. These works have been included in the curriculum of the History and Turkology Departments at Taras Shevchenko University in Ukraine.

Dr. Serra Menekay is also the author of the poem which was composed as the Centennial March of Turkish Republic. She has other poems that have been set to music as well. In addition, she has contributed articles and chapters to many collaborative books and has authored theatrical works.

Dr. Serra Menekay is married. She continues to read, write, and work toward the goal of comprehensive development through her involvement in civil society organizations, particularly the Tohumluk Foundation, the Central Association of Crimean Turks, and the Şefika Gaspıralı International Women's Union.

Agricultural Engineer, MSc., Grain trader. Website designer and developer. Member of the Board of Trustees of the Crimean Foundation. Former Vice President and General Secretary of the Crimean Tatar Culture and Mutual Aid Association (a.k.a. the Crimean Association) in Ankara. Member of the Crimean Association since 1988. Member of the Turkish-Ukrainian Friendship Association in Ankara. Member of the Emel Crimean Foundation in Istanbul.

After graduating from the History Department of the Faculty of Language, History and Geography at Ankara University in 2006, he completed his master's degree at the History (General Turkish History) Department of the Social Sciences Institute of the same university with thesis "Russia's Balkan Policy (1696-1840)" under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Üçler Bulduk. In February 2009, he started working as a Research Assistant at the General Turkish History Department of the History Department of Eskişehir Osmangazi University. In 2011, he studied Russian at the Russian Language and Culture Center of Lomonosov Moscow State University. During the same period, he conducted research in libraries in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 2014, he completed his doctorate with thesis “The Kalmuk Invasion and Its Effects on the Turkish World”, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Saadettin Yağmur Gömeç, at the History (General Turkish History) Department of Ankara University, Institute of Social Sciences.

In August 2014, he was appointed as Assistant Professor at the General Turkish History Department of Eskişehir Osmangazi University. In October 2019, he received the title of Associate Professor from ÜAK. Oktay Berber, who also holds administrative positions in various units of Eskişehir Osmangazi University, speaks English and Russian. He continues his academic studies on Turkish history and culture, Mongols, Russian history, and Turkish-Russian relations, and teaches courses on these subjects at Eskişehir Osmangazi University and Anadolu University.

Dr. Selin Bayrak got her PhD from Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Institute of Social Sciences, Turkish Language and Literature in 2020. Thesis: The verb er- in Old Turkish -a functional and semantic study-(2021). Thesis Advisor: (Ferruh Ağca). From 2017 till 2022 she started working as a Lecturer at the Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Turkish Teaching Application and Research Center.

Articles published in international refereed journals:

1. BAYRAK SELİN (2022). Kırım Tatar Türkçesinde Kadını İfade Eden Sözcüklere Eklenen Bir Morfem Üzerine. Türkbilig, 44(2), 81-85. (Publication No: 7997483)

2. BAYRAK SELİN (2022). ESKİ UYGUR TÜRKÇESİNDE EKSİLTİLİ SAYI SİSTEMİ ÜZERİNE. Türk Kültürü, 15(1), 61-72. (Publication No: 7741777)

3. BAYRAK SELİN (2021). Tunyukuk Yazıtı’nda Bir Anlatım Aracı Olarak Somutlaştırma. Uluslararası Beşeri Bilimler ve Eğitim Dergisi, 7(16), 464-474. (Publication No: 7263507)

4. BAYRAK SELİN (2020). Kırım Tatar Türkçesinde Eski Türkçe ile Ortaklaşan Hayvan Adları Üzerine. Türkiyat Mecmuası, 30(2), 395-409. (Publication No: 6810691).

Dr. Volkan Marttin graduated from Osmangazi University (OGU), Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of History with honors in 2002. He completed his thesis "Rum Interregnum -Greek Rebellion and Organization- (Analysis and Transcription)" at Eskişehir Osmangazi University (ESOGU), Institute of Social Sciences, Department of History and Modern History with a thesis and completed the non-thesis master's degree program in History Teaching at Anadolu University, Institute of Educational Sciences. Volkan Marttin started his doctorate in 2008 and completed it in Gazi University, Institute of Social Sciences, History Department of the Republic of Turkey with thesis "History of the Organization of the General Directorate of Asair and Immigrants (1914-1922)". He received the title of "Assistant Professor" in September 2014. In his academic career, he was deemed successful in the field of Atatürk's Principles and Republic History Science by the Inter-University Council (UAK) on October 23, 2019 and was awarded the title of Associate Professor. He was appointed as a professor in February 2025. Administratively, he served as the Deputy Director of the Ataturk Principles and Revolution History Research and Application Center at Eskişehir Osmangazi University between 2015 and 2018. Since 2020 he has been serving as the Director of the Ataturk Principles and Revolution History Application and Research Center (ATAM).