Ayça Tekin-Koru

Vice Rector for Research and Professor of Economics, TED University

Dr. Ayça Tekin-Koru is Vice Rector for Research and Professor of Economics at TED University. An international economist with extensive experience in research, higher education, and academic leadership, her work focuses on international trade, firm dynamics, productivity, sustainability, and economic resilience. Dr. Tekin-Koru’s research examines how international trade, foreign direct investment, economic integration, and major economic and social shocks affect firms, labor markets, and broader development outcomes. Her more recent work addresses sustainable trade, disaster resilience, skill mismatch, and the economic consequences of systemic crises. She has published extensively in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals and has led and contributed to national and international research projects supported by institutions including the World Bank, WTO, GDN, COMCEC, TÜBİTAK and the EU. Before joining TED University in 2012, Dr. Tekin-Koru held academic positions at Purdue University and Oregon State University. At TED University, she served as the founding Chair of the Department of Business Administration from 2012 to 2016, as the Director of TEDUsTRC from 2021 to 2026 and as Dean of the Graduate School from 2023 to 2026. She was appointed Vice Rector for Research in 2026. Dr. Tekin-Koru received her PhD in Economics from Purdue University and her BSc and MSc degrees in Economics from Middle East Technical University. She has been a Research Fellow of the Economic Research Forum and now serves on its Board of Trustees. She is also a founding member and Steering Committee member of the Initiative for Women in Economics in Türkiye, which works to address gender inequalities and strengthen solidarity, visibility, and representation within the economics profession.