Strategic communications for civil society and organisations

I studied mechanical engineering, but my path led me into media and communication. For nineteen years I have worked in and alongside civil society: building communication strategies, running campaigns, teaching, and supporting organisations through their digital transformation.

Profile

Kenan Dursun is a Senior Communication Expert and the founder of Civic Space Media, with 19 years of dedicated experience in the civil society sector. He specialises in strategic communications, digital activism, and capacity building for NGOs. Dursun holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Sakarya University, an MBA from Beykent University, and an M.A. in Media and Communication Systems from Istanbul Bilgi University, where his research focused on how civil society organisations leverage media and technology.

Throughout his career he has led numerous media and public awareness campaigns, developed communication strategies, and managed digital transformation projects for international organisations and EU-funded programmes. He currently serves as the Senior Non-Key Communication Expert for the EU-funded Civic Space / Sivil Alan Project and provides expertise for the Sivil Düşün and Etkiniz EU Programmes. He is also the founder and editor of sivilalan.com and civicspacejobs.com, key digital platforms serving the civil society ecosystem in Turkey and Cyprus.

Since 2017, Kenan has been a lecturer at Istanbul Bilgi University, teaching courses on "Digital and Data Activism" and "Digital Literacy". His background includes roles such as Communication Advisor for Kale Group, Media Officer for International Medical Corps, and Campaign Manager for various climate-related initiatives. He is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the author of the 2021 publication "Temel Kavramlarla Sivil Toplum: Sektörün Kaleminden".