Hello, I’m Dr. Merve Ayyüce KIZRAK. My journey in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) began in 2009 when I started my professional career as an Electronics and Communication Engineer, and since then, I have been refining my expertise for over 16 years.
Throughout my academic career, I received my bachelor’s (2009) and master’s (2011) degrees in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Haliç University. Later, I completed my PhD in Electronics and Communication Engineering at Yıldız Technical University in 2021, where I focused on deep learning methods for crowd surveillance. I also obtained a second master’s degree in Economics and Financial Technology (FinTech) from Bahçeşehir University. In 2020, I earned an AI Strategy certificate from the University of California, Berkeley, and I hold the ISO/IEC 42001 AI System Management Lead Auditor certification. Furthermore, I successfully completed a comprehensive 42-hour project management training program from a PMI-certified institution.
I began my academic career between 2009 and 2019 as a research and teaching assistant at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Haliç University. Since 2019, I have been a lecturer in the Artificial Intelligence Engineering Department at Bahçeşehir University. In 2019, I joined the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye’s Digital Transformation Office as an AI Expert, actively contributing to developing and implementing the National AI Strategy ever since.
I lead the “Data Space for the Public Sector” project within this scope, focusing on secure data sharing and sovereignty. Our project was selected by Oxford Insights, GPAI, and CEIMIA for the initiative “The Role of Government as a Data Provider for AI.” I also provided expert opinions for the “Ready, Set, AI: AI Readiness in Emerging Markets” report, published by Economist Impact and presented at the 2025 Davos Summit. Additionally, I collaborate with international organizations such as the OECD, G20, EU, NATO, and the UN to shape national data policies. I represent Türkiye in the OECD’s AI Governance and AI Index Working Groups, advocating ethical and responsible AI approaches on a global scale.
In 2024, I was featured on GovInsider’s honor list of the Top 50 Women in Public Sector Technology worldwide, recognized for my work driving digital transformation in the public sector.
My interest in AI security and compliance naturally stems from my dedication to ethical AI. As a member of AI Safety Fundamentals, Responsible AI Institute, and Holistic AI, I have facilitated AI Governance courses worldwide and completed training in AI Alignment. Additionally, through the online AI and machine learning courses I created, I have reached over 50,000 students. By regularly sharing open-source code, articles, and lecture notes, I aim to increase AI and data management awareness, always focusing on building an ethical, responsible, and secure AI ecosystem.
Beyond my academic and professional roles, I have participated in and led AI projects across various sectors, including agriculture, waste recycling, crowd surveillance, public policy, services, and product development. I have also mentored teams in prominent AI competitions in Türkiye—particularly in the “AI in Transportation” category—to achieve first-place awards. I hold in high regard supporting AI initiatives through NGOs and inspiring the next generation of AI professionals.
At the core of all my endeavors lies the commitment to disseminating ethical and responsible AI practices and contributing to data-driven innovation for the benefit of society. By sharing my experiences nationally and internationally and collaborating on joint projects, I strive to foster progress in AI for both Türkiye and the global community.
Details of academic research topics can be found in the publications tab.,
You can access my data and artificial intelligence-related courses that I have published online on various platforms, such as Udemy and BTK Academy, on the online artificial intelligence online courses tab.
You can access the lecture notes prepared in English and Turkish for the Computer and Ethics course at Bahçeşehir University, Artificial Intelligence Engineering Department here.
She publishes blogs, videos and implementations/applications content for understanding and dissemination of knowledge and science.
She conducts artificial intelligence studies on the interdisciplinary conduct of environment, community, and human-centered.
? As the HÜMA team, they completed the TEKNOFEST 2021 Artificial Intelligence in Transportation Competition as the 1st.? You can check the details of their work here!
She gave a speech about the importance and necessity of working interdisciplinary for Artificial Intelligence in Zorlu PSM stage for TEDx Bahcesehir University on April 6, 2019. The video of the talk is published on YouTube!