Meet the team of OPPORTUNITIES

Roy Sommer is Chair of English and the director of the interdisciplinary Center for Narrative Research (CNR) at the University of Wuppertal. An expert in narrative theory, he has published two monographs and more than sixty book chapters and journal articles that reflect his interest in fictional and factual storytelling, fictions of migration, and narrative dynamics. He has co-edited ten books, including Narratology in the Age of Interdisciplinary Narrative Research (2009) and Narrative in Culture (2019). He is principle investigator and scientific coordinator of the OPPORTUNITIES project.

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Samba Yatera, Ph.D. in Sociology in 1990 the theme of on Transnational Migration (Nice Sophia-Antipolis University). Academic partnerships, transnational coordination (France and Mauritania)

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Sercan Kiyak is a social scientist affiliated with KU Leuven's Media Studies Institute, currently pursuing a doctoral candidacy. Engaging with digital research techniques and specializing in the analysis of political communication concerning migration, Sercan's work is marked by an interest in the intersection of social media and political discourse. As an active contributor to the OPPORTUNITIES project, Sercan works on the social media network analysis, leveraging advanced methodologies to shed light on the complex dynamics that shape conversations surrounding migration in the digital realm. Through this research, Sercan endeavors to provide valuable insights into the multifaceted landscape of migration-related communication, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of this critical socio-political issue.

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After I graduated from Ion Luca Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest with a Bachelor's degree in Theatrology, Cultural Marketing and Theatre Journalism, I started my work as Literary Adviser at The National Theatre in Iasi (2001).  Between 2002 –2006, I have worked as a directing assistant at several shows produced by The National Theater.  I was a member of the organizing team of Avram Goldfaden International Theatre Festival (2003, 2004, 2005), A.P. Cehov International Theatre Festival (2004), Europa Est de Tot International Theatre Festival (2006) and Iasi National Theater’s Day (2022). Starting with 2017, I am in charge with the activity of The Black Sea Route within The European Route of Historic Theatres. In 2017, I was the coordinator of the exhibition The National Theatre in Iasi, the Scene of the Big Representations 1916 – 1918. The exhibition was part of the project dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union in 1918. In 2020, I implemented the project TNI 180 - Uninterrupted National Seasons. In 2022, I coordinated the international project 44 X Mickiewicz which was carried out in partnership with the Stefan Żeromski Theatre in Kielce, Poland and it was founded by “Adam Mickiewicz” Institute in Poland. Since October 2022, I am a member of the Board of PERSPECTIV, Association of Historic Theatres in Europe.

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Simona Adinolfi is a PhD student at Ghent University and at the University of Wuppertal. Her PhD thesis focuses on contemporary novels of migration in English which she analyses through narrative theory and critical posthumanities. In the context of the Opportunities project, she analyzes narratives of migration in the Italian public media under the supervision of Prof. Marco Caracciolo.

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Sofie Put is senoir advisor at beweging.net and she is responsible for the project management, the dissemination and communication of OPPORTUNITIES, RE-InVEST, Regal and Involve. She is also (co-) responsible for the making of policy briefs and policy statements and she is responsible for the Ethics Committee and the Gender Committee of the above mentioned projects.

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Stefan Mertens (PhD, Catholic University of Brussels) is researcher at the Institute for Media Studies – Faculty of Social Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium. He is also partner for the Dutch speaking part of Belgium in the international Worlds of Journalism Project (http://www.worldsofjournalism.org). His research interests include quantitative and qualitative content analysis, media and diversity, media policy analysis, survey research, research on cultural values and journalism cultures and audience reception studies.

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Yoana Pavlova, Master degree in Administration & Management in Strasbourg, Bachelor in International Relations in Bulgaria, 10 years of experience in administrative and financial management. Administrative and financial management of the project.