Dr. İzel Varan Samut is a Research Assistant at the Sea and Maritime Law Department of Ankara University Faculty of Law since 2018. Her academic research focuses on maritime law, particularly maritime safety and security, maritime cybersecurity, human rights at sea, seafarers’ rights, marine environmental protection, and liability regimes arising from maritime activities. She participates in national and international academic projects addressing contemporary challenges in maritime law. Her research particularly examines cyber-worthiness of ships, abandonment and protection of seafarers, liability and compensation for damage arising from the carriage of hazardous and noxious substances by sea, and international legal frameworks governing ship recycling and sustainable maritime practices.