Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu is an Assistant Professor at Joongbu University and a Senior Researcher at the Institute of EU Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He studied and worked in Baku, Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Seoul as both an academic and a journalist. He is a member of the Young Turkey Young America Fellowship Program at the Atlantic Council and the Korean Society of Contemporary European Studies. He has worked with several think tanks, including QAFSAM and TEPAV, focusing on related areas of research. His articles have appeared in outlets such as The Diplomat, CEPA, E-International Relations (E-IR), and The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst. Oztarsu is the author of numerous articles and books on South Caucasus and Central Asian affairs. He also serves as the Deputy Director of the Seoul Institute of Global Affairs (SIGA).