Berna Sarıca received her undergraduate degree from the Department of International Relations at Karadeniz Technical University. She is currently pursuing her master’s studies in the Turkic World Studies program at Ankara Social Sciences University. In addition, she continues her second undergraduate studies in the Department of Modern Turkic Languages and Literatures at Ankara University.

Her academic work focuses on Central Asian political history, Turkic World studies, foreign policy analysis, energy security, and Eurasian geopolitics in the context of rare earth elements. Her master’s thesis examines European Union–Central Asia relations through the geo-economic and strategic dimensions of rare earth elements.

Previously, Sarıca worked as a research intern at the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) and the Foreign Policy Institute, contributing to research and reporting in the fields of foreign policy, security, and Eurasian affairs. She has also presented papers at various national and international academic conferences.

She also conducts research on social policy within the context of the Turkic World, focusing on the normative and institutional framework of elderly rights under the Organization of Turkic States.

As of 2026, she has been awarded a doctoral scholarship by the Government of the Russian Federation (Russian House). She has advanced proficiency in English, basic knowledge of Kazakh, and beginner-level proficiency in Russian.

Berna Sarıca joined AVİM as a Non-resident Expert in February 2026.