Dr. Faruk Şeref
PhD in Anthropology · Researcher · Consultant · Educator
The Crossing: From the Mountain Guide to Professor Fufu
Born and raised in Istanbul, I received my B.A. from Boğaziçi University before moving to New York in 2014, where I earned my PhD in Anthropology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. I have lived and worked across multiple continents — including a period as a visiting research fellow at Forum Transregionale Studien in Berlin, participating in research projects across Germany between 2021 and 2024.
Alongside engagements with NGOs, public institutions, organizations, and brands, I made sure to have joyful jobs along the way — as a professional mountain guide on Mount Ararat, a training staff member at Outdoorturk, a walker and trainer for dogs of select clients in TriBeCa and Soho, and eventually proudest as “Prof. Fufu” to my students at Brooklyn College, where I taught for a decade. In 2026, I began working with Habitus Research as a project director to help brands around the globe reach their full potential.
What captures our attention, what fascinates us, what makes us feel safe and comfortable — all depend on observable factors. And each observable factor is an intervention point.
Research Expertise
Trained in qualitative and quantitative methods — ethnography, interviews, surveys, and mixed-methods frameworks that surface deep human insight.
Cultural Intelligence
Cross-cultural fieldwork across Istanbul, New York, and Berlin informing strategies for brands navigating diverse and complex human communities.
I work at the intersection of cultural research, brand strategy, and human experience design.
Applied Strategy
Translating anthropological insight into actionable brand, design, and experience strategies through global collaborations and partnerships.
Training & Education
Over a decade designing and delivering university-level anthropology courses and custom organizational workshops across the globe.
Global
Project Director — Habitus Research & beyond
Partnering with brands, NGOs, and public institutions worldwide to embed cultural intelligence into strategy, design, and organizational practice.
New York · 2026
PhD in Anthropology, CUNY Graduate Center
Doctoral research on mobility, inclusion, and care in Berlin — combining ethnographic fieldwork with critical theory.
Berlin · 2021–2024
Visiting Research Fellow, Forum Transregionale Studien
Transregional and cross-cultural research across Germany, contributing to international academic and policy-oriented projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
New York · 2021
M.Phil., CUNY Graduate Center
New York · 2017
M.A., CUNY Graduate Center
Istanbul · 2008–2013
Training Staff, Outdoorturk Training & Consulting
Designed and facilitated outdoor experiential training programs for corporate teams, developing hands-on workshops in team dynamics, leadership, motivation, and stress management through real-life scenarios and challenging activities.
Istanbul · 2012
B.A., Boğaziçi University
Political Science and International Relations — a foundation in how power, culture, and society intersect.
Affiliations & Memberships
- CUNY Graduate Center
- Forum Transregionale Studien, Berlin
- American Anthropological Association
- User Experience Professionals Association