Assoc. Prof. Selçuk Topal

He completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in the Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Ankara University. He was awarded his DPhil in Astrophysics from the University of Oxford. His research focuses on the observation and analysis of molecular gas in galaxies, gas kinematics, and galaxy evolution. During his doctoral studies, he spent one year as a visiting researcher at the Department of Astronomy of Nagoya University. His first doctoral publication received an Honorable Mention in the natural sciences by the Association of British Turkish Academics. He has authored numerous international journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings in his field. In addition, Topal holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Topal is the author of the popular science and astronomy book Kaostan Kozmosa: Evrenin Hikayesi and the creator and presenter of the documentary İnanılmaz Evren. In 2013, he founded the science outreach initiative Gelecek Uzayda with the aim of communicating space science accurately and engagingly to broad audiences. As of 2026, he has delivered seminars to more than 200,000 young people and organized numerous educator training programmes. He has personally visited 35 cities, authored over 150 popular science articles, and appeared in more than 150 television and radio programmes. He has also produced extensive audio-visual content, including dozens of audio broadcasts and over 400 educational video productions. The Gelecek Uzayda project was awarded first place in its category at the 2019 international IAU100 celebrations organized by the International Astronomical Union, and was selected as a finalist in the Social Impact category of the 2026 Study UK Alumni Awards.

Topal is a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, International Astronomical Union, European Astronomical Society, and Turkish Astronomical Society. He is also affiliated with Christ Church College, the Oxford Türkiye Alumni Society, and the Oxford Union. He is married and has two children. Further details about his work can be found at www.astronomselcuk.com.