Dr. Derya Göçer is the holder of the chair for area studies and Middle East studies at Middle East Technical University, Türkiye. She obtained her MSc and PhD degrees from the London School of Economics, Department of International Relations. Dr. Göçer teaches several courses on the modern politics and international relations of the Middle East as well as theory and research design in area studies. Her research interests include the transnational connections within and across areas and connections between states as well as societies. She has written several articles on Iranian and Turkish foreign policies toward the Middle East and recently co-authored a book chapter on Türkiye’s BRI engagement and its impact on Türkiye’s state transformation (with Ceren Ergenç, Palgrave, 2022) and an article on Iran’s BRI engagement (with Meliha Altunışık, 2023).