Name: Ceyda Koksoy
Class Year: 2026
Majors: English and International Studies
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Internship Organization: Berlin International
Internship Title: Migrant Entrepreneurship Atlas/Yellow Pages Research Intern
Location of Internship: Berlin, Germany
What's happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!
I am currently interning at Berlin International as a research intern for the Migrant Entrepreneurship Atlas Project, under the supervision of Dr. Barış Ülker. This project is largely inspired by the Yellow Pages, also known as the Türk İş Rehberi, a renowned business directory that has been in existence since the late twentieth century. The Yellow Pages function similarly to a telephone directory, but for businesses, allowing new and existing entrepreneurs to easily and efficiently establish professional, and potentially personal, connections.
The focus of our research is on analyzing changes in the sectoral, spatial, and temporal distribution of companies owned by migrant entrepreneurs from Turkey in Berlin. My initial responsibilities included entering data from the 2014 Yellow Pages into a Google spreadsheet, identifying redundancies and errors based on a pre-determined color-coding system, and cleaning the data by removing businesses listed twice in different sectors, businesses located outside of Berlin, and businesses without an address.
With the cleaned dataset, I used QGIS, a geographic information system software, to visualize the businesses as points on a map through a process called geocoding. I then determined the X and Y coordinates of these points from the attribute table. Additionally, I matched each business with the corresponding EU standard NACE category to facilitate future research and ease of use for future interns.
Since the internship was primarily remote, I also decided to take on additional responsibilities. I proposed that we interview some of the business owners included in our data set. I thought it would be valuable to put faces to the names and see these owners as individuals rather than just data points. Many of them had migrated from Turkey for various reasons, and I wanted to hear their stories and understand their paths to success. Dr. Ãœlker was very receptive to this idea, and I have always appreciated his flexibility and openness to our suggestions. We formed a small team of three interns to develop a survey of questions for the business owners. We collaborated on the questions, one person worked on drafting the consent statement, I translated the statement and the questions into Turkish, and another intern translated them into German.
On the day I proposed this idea, Dr. Ãœlker also introduced me to his other research projects. I was particularly interested in a project focused on the healthcare of migrant workers. Consequently, I began working on a literature review for this project alongside another intern. My responsibility was to conduct historical research on the topic, which involved finding, annotating, summarizing, and citing older academic sources related to our research. It has been challenging to locate relevant sources, and I am still actively working on this project. I hope to continue my involvement in the upcoming semesters.
Working remotely for the first time? What has that experience been like for you?
A significant challenge was managing the remote and flexible nature of the internship, which, while offering convenience, also made it difficult to maintain a structured workflow. Unlike more traditional internships with a fixed schedule and designated workspace, I sometimes found it challenging to maintain motivation and productivity without a set routine. The lack of a physical office space or daily in-person interactions with colleagues made me feel isolated at times and even envious of other internships that offered a more defined daily structure. Additionally, the repetitive nature of data entry was quite tedious, leading to moments where I felt my efficiency waning, particularly during the literature review phase. This was partly due to technical frustrations but also a personal struggle with the realization that I was nearing the end of my time in Berlin.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied for this internship because, as an immigrant from Turkey, I have a deep personal interest in understanding how people integrate into new environments and pursue their dreams or promises to their families. Being an immigrant myself, I am keenly aware of the challenges and opportunities that come with moving to a new country. I am fascinated by the various methods and strategies people employ to navigate these challenges and achieve success in unfamiliar settings. This internship offered a unique opportunity to explore these themes through data analysis, mapping, and interviews.