Biography

Shakil Reja Efti is a media studies researcher and creative practitioner, currently serving as a Lecturer in the Department of Media Studies and Journalism at the World University of Bangladesh. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Journalism at Istanbul University, Türkiye, as a recipient of the fully funded Turkish Government Scholarship (Türkiye Burslari). As part of his MA research, he conducted thesis work at Charles University in Prague as an Erasmus+ Exchange Scholar.

Previously, Shakil served as the Director of the Bangladesh Study and Research Center at Istanbul Gedik University. He also worked as a graduate research scholar on a project funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK), focusing on an analysis of Türkiye’s podcast industry.

Shakil’s research has been published in leading academic journals, including Disability & Society (Routledge, Q1–SSCI). His current research interests include audio media, disability media, and podcasting. He has presented his work as an invited speaker at international conferences and symposia organized by the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), the International Communication Association (ICA), and the Centre for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Arts (CEDIA), Birmingham. In 2025, he received the Most Original Research Prize at the 1st ECREA Radio and Sound Postgraduate Conference, awarded by the Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA, UK), for his research on the sonic representations of disability.

Shakil is also a published author and podcaster. His memoir on Istanbul, Amar Istambul, along with his other books, has gained a wide readership. He is passionate about literary translation and has translated notable works of Bengali literature into Turkish. Additionally, he works to archive endangered cultural elements through his platform, Take Me Home. His podcasts on Radyo Iletisim (Istanbul University Radio Station) and Radyo Gedik (Istanbul Gedik University Radio Station) have been well received in Türkiye for their content, as well as their academic and archival value.

Education/Academic Qualification

External positions

Graduate Research Scholar, TÜBİTAK 1001 Research Project, Faculty of Communication, Istanbul University
2024 → 2025

Director, Bangladesh Study and Research Center, Istanbul Gedik University, Turkey
2023 → 2024

Research expertise keywords