About me
I am a senior lecturer at Westminster Business School (WBS), University of Westminster, London UK. I have a quite diverse educational background, which has enabled me to acquire a wide knowledge base covering a range in the business field. I completed my BA in Labour Economics and Industrial Relationships, whilst my MA pertained to Money Markets and Stock Exchange Law in Turkey. I have been at WBS since 2013, where I completed my second MA International Business and Management and followed that by study for a PhD about highly qualified migration, which I successfully completed in 2019. I have been teaching a range of management and business subjects at WBS since 2015. Hence, I am very familiar with WBS culture as I have attended the university both as a student from 2013 from 2019 and staff member since 2015. I am very passionate about teaching, whilst always being greatly concerned about students’ wellbeing and having their voices heard.
Teaching
I am currently module leader for Leadership and Development at WBS. I have been teaching various modules at WBS on management, leadership, human resource management, employability, strategy and business research, including Leadership and Development ( Level 5- Module Leader), Management and Leadership for Business (Level 5- Module Leader), Global Strategic Management (Level 6), Strategic Perspectives for Finance and Accounting ( Level 6), Managing People (Level 5), The Role of the Manager (Level 4), Strategic Perspectives for Marketing (Level 6), Marketing for Business Managers (Level 4), Introduction to Management (Level 4), Global Business Debates (Level 3) and Research Methods (Masters). In addition, I have been a personal tutor to many undergraduate students at WBS.
Research
I am a qualitative researcher with expertise in in-depth interviews and qualitative data analysis, focusing on issues of inclusion and equity and the lived experiences of diverse marginalised populations.
My research focuses on migration and the experiences of marginalised or mobile groups, including migrants and refugees. I pay particular attention to how individuals navigate political, economic, social, and institutional environments, while also considering individual differences such as LGBTQ+, gender, ethnicity, and age. I engage with questions of inclusion, equity, and the lived experiences of diverse marginalised populations.
My research is informed by two major theoretical perspectives: the Capability Approach, which I use to analyse individuals’ opportunities, freedoms, and real-life possibilities within migration, and Structuration Theory, which explains the dynamic relationship between individual agency and the institutional and structural contexts that shape behaviour, choices, and constraints. By combining these two frameworks, I show how individuals both shape and are shaped by broader macro environments, highlighting how individuals negotiate barriers, create opportunities, and build meaningful lives.
Dilek Fidler, S., Clarke, L. and Wang, Y. 2025. From mobility to migration: the impact of socio-cultural and professional factors on international post-doctoral capabilities. Studies in Higher Education. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2025.2552824
Ali Selcuk Can, Yuksel Ekinci and Setenay Dilek Fidler 2025. Fantasy or reality? Unveiling the power of realistic narratives in tourism social media advertising. Tourism Management . 106 104998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2024.104998
Can,A., Ekinci, Y. and Dilek Fidler, S. 2023. Do Blue Flag promotions influence tourists’ willingness to pay a price premium for coastal destinations? Tourism Management . 98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104767
Dilek Fidler, S., Clarke, L. and Wang, Y. 2022. The Impact of Political Factors on International Student Mobility. British Educational Research Journal. 49 (2), pp. 352-369. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3846
Dilek Fidler, S. 2025. An octopus with three hearts: how to approach PhD supervision. An octopus with three hearts: how to approach PhD supervision
Dilek Fidler, S. (2016). Social determinants of international student mobility: PhD students from Turkey. In Cohen, J.H. et al. (eds.), Turkish Migration 2016: Selected Papers. London: Transnational Press London.
Dilek Fidler, S. (2019). Social determinants of international students’ mobility: Enhancing the capabilities of PhD students from Turkey. Doctoral thesis, University of Westminster.
Conference
Social Determinants of International Student Mobility. The International Migration Conference, Lisbon, 2018, presented paper.
Why do they move? PhD student from Turkey. The International Migration Conference, Athens 2017, presented paper.
International Student Mobility: Social Determinants of International Student Mobility: PhD students from Turkey. The International Migration Conference, Vienna 2016, presented paper (rewarded with runner up prize).
Publications
For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.