Murat Yarımay – the winner of the COREnet Master Thesis Award 2025

For the second time, the COST Action “Connecting Theory and Practical Issues of Migration and Religious Diversity” (COREnet) offered a unique opportunity to submit master’s theses on religious diversity and migration for a chance to be selected to participate in person at the COREnet and International Society for the Sociology of Religion 38th Conference in Kaunas (Lithuania) from 30 June to 4 July 2025.

Ten applications were received in four languages (Turkish, English, German, and Serbian). Our Evaluation Committee carefully reviewed all the entries and selected Murat Yarımay’s (Kilis 7 Aralık Üniversitesi, Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, Turkey) thesis, “The Invisible Face of the Syrian War and Forced Migration to Turkey: Women”, as the winner.

This thesis makes a significant contribution by bringing a feminist perspective to the study of forced migration, emphasising the often-overlooked experiences of women. Through in-depth interviews with Syrian women displaced by war, Murat Yarımay gives voice to those whose stories are frequently marginalized, capturing the intersection of gender, war, displacement, religion and identity. His research not only highlights the gendered dimensions of forced migration but also calls for greater attention to women’s unique experiences in migration scholarship and policy.

Murat Yarımay will present his thesis at the 38th Biennial ISSR Conference in Kaunas, which will take place from June 30 to July 4, 2025.

The winner of the second place is Begüm Güngör and the thesis titled “Bounded citizenship? A qualitative study of Muslim women’s experiences of naturalisation in Germany”.

We would like to thank all the applicants for their participation in the COREnet Master Thesis Award 2025.