Ilker Bahar

Associated Expert

Ilker Bahar is a PhD candidate in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Amsterdam. He is currently conducting digital ethnographic research on the social VR platform VRChat, exploring how VR and immersive technologies are reshaping identity, intimacy, and sexuality. His work is grounded in queer theory, science and technology studies, and critical media studies. His broader research interests include gender and sexuality, mediated intimacy, virtual reality, avatarial embodiment and aesthetics,  AI companions, and digital cultures. He co-founded VR Academia—a research initiative developed in collaboration with Liudmila Bredikhina and Jindong Leo Liu—that brings together scholars with VR enthusiasts to explore metaverse cultures. The community organizes focus groups, public gatherings, and online discussions to examine emerging trends, social norms, and aesthetics in social VR platforms. Beyond his academic interests, Ilker is a huge fan of the Mediterranean and he sometimes sings.

• -PhD in Media and Cultural Studies, University of Amsterdam 
• -MA in Cultural Studies, KU Leuven
• -BA in Political Science, Bogazici University