Alican Bayram, Ph.D., is a visiting assistant professor at the School of Health & Human Sciences, where he continues his research on emerging leisure paradigms. Bayram specializes in recreation and leisure studies. He began his academic career at Anadolu University, later holding positions at Eskişehir Technical University and Bingöl University.
In his master’s thesis, Bayram investigated the social and physical impacts of neighborhood parks. His doctoral dissertation introduced the concept of "retro leisure" to the scientific literature, providing its first formal definition. However, his most notable contribution is the conceptualization of "metaleisure"—a groundbreaking theory examining the intersection of leisure and digital transformation.
By introducing metaleisure, Bayram has expanded the theoretical boundaries of leisure studies, bridging traditional recreation research with emerging digital trends. This pioneering concept explores how virtual and augmented reality technologies are reshaping recreational behaviors, social interactions, and leisure consumption within metaverse environments.
His work provides a critical framework for understanding how immersive technologies will redefine leisure experiences, offering new directions for interdisciplinary scholarship in recreation, digital sociology, and human-computer interaction. This pioneering concept explores how virtual and augmented reality technologies are reshaping recreational behaviors, social interactions, and leisure consumption within metaverse environments.
Bayram’s research continues to influence contemporary discourse on leisure, emphasizing the transformative role of virtual spaces in future recreational practices. His contributions position him at the forefront of innovative leisure theory, particularly in the study of digitally mediated leisure activities.
