Aycan Akdeniz Bayram has over 20 years of professional experience in political analysis, diplomacy, and program/project management in the context of conflict and dispute resolution, peacebuilding, democratization, good governance, migration, and human rights, spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Originally from Cyprus, Aycan has worked in research, policy development, and management positions in the European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) institutions, as well as in think tanks and international civil society organizations.
Aycan has for many years served as a political affairs officer within the EU Delegation to Turkey and contributed to the development of Turkey-EU cooperation within the EU system, later joining the policy team at the EU's European External Action Service in Brussels responsible for the EU's relations with the Arab Gulf countries. Most recently, she served as a Regional Peace and Development Advisor at the UN Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, where she played an active role in supporting regional countries to build resilience in the face of the Ukraine war and the increasing vulnerabilities in the region.