Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Pinar Ceylan

Author

Pinar Ceylan
ERC Postdoctoral Researcher, Ghent University

Pinar Ceylan is an economic historian specializing in Ottoman economic and rural history. She is currently an ERC Postdoctoral Researcher at Ghent University. Previously, she held postdoctoral positions at Humboldt University and Ghent University, supported by prestigious fellowships, including the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. She earned her PhD from the London School of Economics, where she examined markets, prices, and consumption in the Ottoman Empire from the late 17th to mid-19th centuries. Her current research focuses on market integration, rural inequality in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the long-term trajectory of Ottoman waqfs. Ceylan’s work has been published in leading journals such as The Economic History Review and Agricultural History Review, and she has contributed to major edited volumes and policy reports. Beyond academia, she has been actively involved in civil society initiatives, particularly in human rights and sustainable agriculture.

Content by this Author

Market integration in the Middle East and the Balkans, 1560-1914

Trade has re-emerged as a central issue in global policy debates, as governments debate not only the costs and benefits of trade, but also the underlying determinants of market integration. To inform the discussion, this column reports new research evidence on the experiences of the former Ottoman territories in the Middle East and the Balkans over nearly four centuries, tracing the evolution, drivers and consequences of trade integration across these regions.

Most read

Artificial intelligence and the renewable energy transition in MENA

Artificial intelligence has the potential to bridge the gap between abundant natural resources and the pressing need for reliable, sustainable power in the Middle East and North Africa. This column outlines the constraints and proposes policies that can address the challenges of variability of renewable resources and stress on power grids, and support the transformation of ‘sunlight’ to ‘smart power’.

Arab youth and the future of work

The Arab region’s labour markets are undergoing a triple transformation: demographic, digital and green. As this column explains, whether these forces evolve into engines of opportunity or drivers of exclusion for young people will hinge on how swiftly and coherently policy-makers can align education, technology and employment systems to foster adaptive skills, inclusive institutions and innovation-led pathways to decent work.

Digitalising governance in MENA: opportunities for social justice

Can digital governance promote social justice in MENA – or does it risk deepening inequality and exclusion? This column examines the evolution of digital governance in three sub-regions – Egypt, Jordan and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council – highlighting how data practices, transparency mechanisms and citizen trust shape the social outcomes of technological reform.

Wrong finance in a broken multilateral system: red flags from COP30-Belém

With the latest global summit on climate action recently wrapped up, ambitious COP pledges and initiatives continue to miss delivery due to inadequate commitments, weak operationalisation and unclear reporting systems. As this column reports, flows of climate finance remain skewed: loans over grants; climate mitigation more than climate adaptation; and weak accountability across mechanisms. Without grant-based finance, debt relief, climate-adjusted lending and predictable multilateral flows, implementation of promises will fail.

Why political connections are driving business confidence in MENA

This column reports the findings of a new study of how the political ties of firms in the Middle East and North Africa boost business confidence. The research suggests that this optimism is primarily driven by networked access to credit and lobbying, underscoring the need for greater transparency and institutional reform in corporate governance.




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