Student

Ekin Ali Önderoğlu

Neither estranged from the East, nor wholly surrendered to the West

Raised in a bilingual environment in Istanbul, he completed his secondary education at the Lycée Français Pierre Loti. He subsequently pursued a dual degree in law and economics before broadening his academic focus to political science.

The geopolitics of the Near and Middle East lies at the heart of his academic interests and intellectual pursuits. His attention is particularly directed towards Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen—countries sometimes reductively grouped under the geopolitical notion of the “Shia Crescent.” He is especially interested in their political systems, regional power dynamics, sectarian networks, and non-state actors.

Drawing on an interdisciplinary approach, he seeks to understand the region in its historical, legal, political, and social complexity, moving beyond one-dimensional interpretations and overly simplistic geopolitical narratives.