Academic CV · Kerim Demirkol
Kerim Demirkol

Kerim Demirkol

Scholar-athlete preparing for medicine through the study of human performance, food systems, public health, and disciplined self-assessment.

Doha, Qatar · kerimdemirkol.com · Contact: via the website

Profile

Scholar-athlete preparing for medicine and public-health related undergraduate study with a focus on sports medicine. Portfolio connects food-systems research, youth nutrition writing, endurance sport, chess, and applied performance physiology. Selected as a Borlaug Scholar through the World Food Prize and Wageningen Youth Institute. Competitive open-water swimmer and triathlete. Certified Personal Trainer at EQF Level 4, with applied experience supporting a Qatar Paralympic-pathway athlete. Public writing portfolio focused on nutrition literacy and food-systems analysis.

Education

2025 to May 2027 (expected)
Laurel Springs School  ·  United States accredited online high school
High school diploma program, pre-medicine track. Based in Doha, Qatar.
Core subjects: Biology, Chemistry, English Literature. Worldschooled student completing advanced coursework concurrently with professional certifications and competitive athletics.
Jul 2025
Georgetown Pre-College Summer Program (GPS)
Georgetown University in Qatar  ·  Certificate of Completion
Selected for a competitive university-hosted academic enrichment program covering pre-college academic skills, critical thinking, and university preparation. Completed under the supervision of Georgetown University faculty and Educational Enrichment staff.
2024 to May 2025
Seed & Stem Learning Center  ·  Grade 10 (completed)
Full US homeschool curriculum
Completed Grade 10 with concurrent enrollment in multiple professional development programs.

Academic interests

Medicine, public health, sports medicine, performance physiology, rehabilitation medicine, nutrition literacy, food systems, adolescent health, and human performance.

Research and writing

Inaugural cohort · Wageningen University and Research

Borlaug Scholar research, January 2023

Selected for the inaugural Wageningen Youth Institute cohort under the World Food Prize Foundation. Submitted research and policy recommendations on obesity and food hunger in the Philippines. Research paper reviewed through the World Food Prize and Wageningen Youth Institute process. The 2023 reviewer letter named five substantive critiques, namely on framing, evidence depth, policy specificity, source diversity, and the obesity-and-stunting paradox. A revised paper is in progress for completion by end of 2026.

kerimdemirkol.com/borlaug-scholar

2023 to present
The Borlaug Scholar Field Notes  ·  Independent investigative writing series
Public-scholarship essays on food systems, nutrition literacy, food-label interpretation, health-washing, and ownership transparency.
Two parallel research lines, namely a Filipino food-systems line descending from the 2022 Borlaug paper, and a sardines line as a global-industry case study. Four published Field Notes in 2026, namely The Same Can Three Stories, The Charity Can, The Listed Can the Quiet Owners, and The Fish That Solved Distance.
kerimdemirkol.com/the-field-notes
2026
Borlaug Forward  ·  Companion essay
Twelve questions across six disciplines on the Filipino obesity-stunting paradox. Includes a seven-rung action ladder of public commitments.
kerimdemirkol.com/borlaug-forward
2025 to 2026
Public scholarship tools and reference atlas
Five interactive public-scholarship tools built to translate food-systems research for non-specialist readers, namely the Health Premium Decoder, Health-Washing Decoder, Brand Owner Decoder, Preservation Timeline, and the Global Sardine Standard Map.
The Global Sardine Standard Map plots twenty sardine-producing countries across five regulatory tiers as a cross-cutting reference atlas.
In progress
Research manuscript on youth nutrition literacy
Manuscript developing the Youth Food Signal Model. Submitted to Preventing Chronic Disease for editorial review.

Awards and distinctions

Jan 2023
Borlaug Scholar  ·  Inaugural cohort
World Food Prize Foundation and Wageningen Youth Institute, Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands
Dec 2025
Top 10 age category  ·  Oceanman World Championship 10KM
Oceanman World Series Final
Oct 2025
Junior Champion  ·  Oceanman Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa, Cyprus
Sep 2025
10KM Junior Champion  ·  Oceanman Aktau
Aktau, Kazakhstan
2024
FIDE Arena International Master title (AIM)
Awarded on the FIDE Online Arena platform. The Arena title series is a separate FIDE recognition track from the over-the-board International Master title.
FIDE profile: ratings.fide.com/profile/26396815
2022
FIDE Arena Master (AFM)
FIDE Online Arena
2022
FIDE Arena Candidate Master (ACM)
FIDE Online Arena

Athletics and performance

2022 to present
Open-water swimming and triathlon
Competitive long-distance open-water swimmer. Triathlon training across pool, open water, cycling, and running disciplines.
Competition history includes Oceanman 10KM events and the Oceanman World Championship Final. Training is structured around endurance physiology, recovery, and self-assessed performance review.
Jan 2026
Professional Freestyle & Butterfly Swimming Clinic
Canadian High Performance Association  ·  Sports Castle Academy
Three-day technical clinic under certified high-performance coaches. Certificate of Participation and Performance Development.
Summer 2025
Bolles Swim Camp
The Bolles School  ·  Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Attended an established United States competitive swim camp. Coach-led small-group technical instruction across short course yards (SCY) and long course meters (LCM) formats. Daily pool and land workouts with classroom sessions on high-level competition preparation.
2022 to 2025
Competitive chess
Three FIDE Arena titles. Tournament play across seven countries. Coaching engagement with fifteen coaches over three years.
Performance milestones include +184.8 FIDE points in Budapest and a 6/9 result for second place at Tata Steel.

Certifications and applied training

Mar 2025
Personal Trainer  ·  European Qualifications Framework Level 4
SIFA  ·  EREPS / EuropeActive endorsed  ·  Approved by the Qatar Ministry of Sports and Youth (License 2020 SALA-000341)
Certificate No. PT0782. Anchor credential for applied training and adaptive-sport work.
Mar 2025
Fitness Instructor  ·  REPs Endorsed
SIFA  ·  Certificate No. FI1134
Apr 2025
Suspended Fitness Training Specialist
SIFA, the International School for Fitness Alliance  ·  Certificate No. SFT2509
Aug 2025
Functional Training Specialist  ·  REPs Approved
SIFA

Languages

English (native). Turkish (basic). Bulgarian (basic).

Service, work experience, and public engagement

Mar 2026
Europe and Central Asia Youth Consultative Dialogue  ·  Participant
35th FAO Regional Conference for Europe  ·  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Selected to participate in the youth consultative dialogue convened in advance of the 35th FAO Regional Conference for Europe. Engaged with peers and FAO representatives across Europe and Central Asia on agrifood-systems policy, youth-led action, and food-security priorities for the region. Session held 30 March 2026, 10:00 Rome time.
Mar 2026 to present
OCEANMAN Ambassador
OCEANMAN Open Water Swimming Circuit  ·  International
Appointed brand representative and community advocate for the OCEANMAN open-water swimming circuit. Promotes participation in long-distance open-water swimming, shares training and racing experience, and supports community engagement around upcoming OCEANMAN events.
Aug to Dec 2025
Fitness Instructor Assistant
Qatar National Paralympic Committee, Doha
Provided functional training and conditioning support to a Qatar Paralympic swimming athlete in preparation for international competition. Designed customized fitness programs focused on strength, endurance, and injury prevention. Worked alongside the Paralympic National Coach to deliver safe, adaptive, and evidence-based workouts tailored to individual ability and competition demands.

Creative communication

2025 to present
KimDem  ·  Independent music project
Six original tracks released on Bandcamp and major streaming services across English, Tagalog, and Turkish. The project complements public writing on resilience, training, and competition.
kimdem.bandcamp.com
In development
The Grandmaster I Never Became  ·  Memoir
Long-form work on competitive pressure, the gap between expectation and outcome, and turning a missed goal into a body of work that reuses the same training. Targeted publication 2026.

Medicine and pre-medicine direction

The interest in medicine is shaped by three connected areas, namely the body as a performance system, food systems as public-health infrastructure, and rehabilitation and adaptive sport as applied care. Long-term areas of interest include sports medicine, performance physiology, public-health medicine, and rehabilitation medicine. The current pre-medicine pathway is a developing direction supported by the academic, athletic, and service work documented above.

Selected links and verification

Kerim Demirkol  ·  Academic Curriculum Vitae  ·  kerimdemirkol.com  ·  Updated May 2026