Sibel TOP

Sibel Top is a postdoctoral researcher and the Managing Director of the Fundamental Rights Centre (FRC) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). She holds a PhD in Law from VUB, funded by a scholarship from the Flanders Research Foundation (FWO). She also holds two Master’s degrees in European Interdisciplinary Studies - one from the College of Europe and another from the Institute of European Studies at the Université Libre de Bruxelles - where she also obtained a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Anthropology.

Sibel joined VUB in 2017 and has since worked on several interdisciplinary research projects related to human trafficking, the fight against online child sexual abuse and exploitation, and the promotion and enhancement of human rights protection. Her PhD research explored the legal relevance and application of the political offence exemption, drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of the state to examine shifts in the protection of political crimes. Prior to her doctoral studies, she completed internships with various international and supranational organisations, including the International Labour Organization, the European Commission (Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs), and the European Economic and Social Committee.