Dr. Hatice Büber Kaya

About

My professional journey began in technology and education and has evolved into an interdisciplinary research identity focused on understanding the intersection of digital technologies and society. I am a faculty member in the Department of Software Engineering at Kırklareli University; I completed my PhD in Technology-Enhanced Learning at Durham University (UK) and my MSc in Information Systems at the University of Pittsburgh (USA).

My research proceeds along three connected strands: (1) digital volunteering, civic technology and youth participation; (2) human-AI interaction — AI anxiety, hybrid intelligence, human agency and gender bias in AI systems; and (3) crisis informatics, information disorder and digital verification.

I lead national projects as an academic advisor at the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Youth and Sports. I am a working-group member of three COST Actions (BEACON CA24106, GameTable CA22145, RELINK2 CA23114). I accompany institutions on their transformation journeys in the age of artificial intelligence through strategy, capability development and human-centred implementation; I design and run national-scale programmes in this field. I describe my consulting work for higher-education institutions and the public sector in more detail on the Consulting page.

I believe that the true potential of artificial intelligence and information technologies will only emerge through a human-centred strategic vision and an interdisciplinary approach.

Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests

  • Digital Volunteering and Civic Technology
  • Youth Participation
  • Human-AI Interaction (AI Anxiety, Hybrid Intelligence, Human Agency)
  • Gender Bias in AI Systems and AI Ethics
  • Crisis Informatics and Information Disorder
  • Digital Verification and Deepfake Detection
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Management Information Systems
  • Educational Technologies and Gamification
  • Behavioural Data Analytics

Academic Roles

  • Kırklareli University, Software Engineering — Assistant Professor (2023–present), Lecturer (PhD) (2020–2023)
  • Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Youth and Sports — Academic Consultant (2020–present)
  • COST Action Working Group Memberships: BEACON CA24106 (WG3, WG4) · GameTable CA22145 (WG2, WG3, WG5) · RELINK² CA23114 (WG3, WG4) (2026–present)
  • UBMK International Conference on Computer Science and Engineering — Scientific Committee Member (2025–2026)

Professional Memberships

  • IEEE — Member (2026–present) · Türkiye Section · Education Society · Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) · Council on RFID · Systems Council
  • Türkiye Bilişim Derneği (TBD) — Member (2026–present)

Awarded Research Grants

  • COST GameTable (CA22145) — Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) Grant, €3,850 (2026) · Host: Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar
  • COST BEACON (CA24106) — ITC Conference Grant, €1,500 (2026) · WOHC 2026, Lisbon
  • COST RELINK² (CA23114) — ITC Conference Grant, €1,200 (2026) · ECKM 2026, Rome

Education

PhD

Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom

Technology-Enhanced Learning (Computer Science) (10/2012 – 08/2019)

Supervisors: Prof. David Galloway, Prof. Carole Torgerson and Dr. Andrew Joyce-Gibbons

Thesis: A group of home-educating mothers in Turkey: their motivations, pedagogical approaches and use of digital resources.

MSc

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

Information Systems (08/2010 – 08/2012)

Advisor: Prof. Peter Brusilovsky

Project: Development of the QuizJET tool within the Knowledge Tree system, as part of the ADAPT2 advanced programming project on personalized learning systems at the PAWS (Personalized Adaptive Web Systems) Lab. Project Page

  • Two research projects were carried out with Prof. Peter Brusilovsky and project members Dr. Rosta Farzan and Dr. Sharon I-Han Hsiao.
  • Work focused on analysing data obtained from the QuizJET tool within the Knowledge Tree system using educational data mining methods and LifeFlow.
  • The effects of the entertainment factor of social media on learning and information recall: Ekşisözlük as a learning platform; Acikoz, Buber 2012

Language Education

Point Park University, Pittsburgh, USA (04/2009 – 02/2010)

Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Türkiye  (01/2009 – 03/2009)

BSc

Gazi University, Ankara, Türkiye

Computer Education and Instructional Technology (2003 – 2007)

High School

Bornova Anatolian High School, İzmir, Türkiye (1998-2002)

Achievements

  • ÖSS – 2003, top 7% nationwide.
  • ALES – 2006, top 1% nationwide.
  • YLSY – 2008 Ministry of National Education (YLSY) scholarship for graduate study abroad.

Teaching Experience

  • Kırklareli University — Undergraduate courses in Software Engineering (2020–present)
  • Gazi University & Ankara Metropolitan Municipality – Web Design Training for TCDD Engineers, Instructor (2008)
  • Gazi University, Ankara, Türkiye – Web Design Instructor (2008)
  • Bilkent High School, Ankara, Türkiye – Computer Teacher (2007–2008)
  • Türk Telekom Anatolian Technical High School, Ankara, Türkiye – Trainee Teacher (2007)
  • Yenimahalle Anatolian Technical High School, Ankara, Türkiye – Trainee Teacher (2006)

Professional Experience

  • University of Pittsburgh Press – Office Manager (2010–2011)
  • Solutionbox Advertising Agency – Company Partner (2008–2009)
  • United Design Advertising Agency – Art Director (2008)
  • Lavida Tourism and Organization – Project Manager (2007)
  • Türk Telekom – Customer Relations (2006–2007)

Recent Certificates

  • Digital Forensics Specialist Training (Blue Team Supported) — Ankara University Continuing Education Centre (ANKÜSEM), 60 hours (2025)
  • Expert Witness Training Certificate — Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Justice (2025)
  • AI with Social Mind for Institutional Collaboration and Social Impact — Social Mind Association / Ibn Haldun University SDAM, 20 hours (2025)
  • Youthpass — Erasmus+ Youth Workers Mobility, The Asha Foundation, United Kingdom (2023)

Invited Talks, Panels and Teaching

  • Conference paper — ECKM 2026, Rome, Italy (3-4 September 2026, accepted)
  • Conference paper — UBMK 2026, 11th International Conference on Computer Science and Engineering, Istanbul (16-18 September 2026, accepted)
  • Project presentation and reflection session — COST RELINK² Training School, Sofia, Bulgaria (June-July 2026)
  • Trainer — “Reporters of the Future” digital news verification and vibecoding training series, Ankara / Gaziantep / Istanbul (2026)
  • Trainer — Web 2.0 and AI-Supported Tools, Training of Trainers in Volunteering, Ankara (May 2026)
  • Conference paper — XI. ASC International Social Sciences Congress, Çağ University (April 2026)
  • Invited webinar speaker — ILA Talks / VOL Talks: “Understanding Digital Volunteering Platforms through Behavioural Science and Data”, National Volunteering Committee (February 2026)
  • Panellist and no-code workshop lead — Digital Volunteering in Times of Disaster, Anadolu University (December 2025)
  • Session chair and invited speaker — ASES Congress, Kırklareli (November 2025)
  • Panel chair — Youth Reading Skills and Habits Inventory Preparation Workshop, Anadolu University, Eskişehir (October 2025)
  • Invited speaker — Artificial Intelligence in Sport, BİGG Sports Awards, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Istanbul (March 2024)

Selected Training Attended

  • Conducting Interdisciplinary Academic Work (2016)
  • Visually Guided Academic Research: Using Visual Methods in the Social Sciences (2015)
  • NVivo Software Training (2014)
  • EndNote Software Training (2014)
  • Use of Social Media in Scientific Work (2012)

Sports Certificates

  • Basketball License – Pehlivanoğlu Girls' Junior Team (1999–2000)
  • Tennis Certificate (2001)
  • Ski Certificate (2005)