Before joining DCU, Volkan worked for Bogazici University as the Director of Social Policy Forum Research Centre and the Coordinator of Master’s Program in Social Policy. He took his undergraduate degrees in Political Science & International Relations and Sociology from Bogazici University . Volkan completed his PhD in Politics at the University of Leeds.​ He currently serves as one of the coordinators of the Sociology of Social Policy and Social Welfare Research Network (RN26) of the European Sociological Association, and editorial board members of the Journal of Social Policy and New Perspectives on Turkey. His academic interests include public policies; comparative social policy; the politics of social policy reforms; health care policies; humanitarian programmes; human rights, discrimination and social policies.