KOO Gi Yeon serves as a professor at the Seoul National University Asia Center and as an advisory committee member for the Ministry of Justice's Refugee Committee. As research director of the West Asia Center, she spearheads research initiatives and organizes academic events focused on West Asian studies. To strengthen Middle Eastern studies in Korea, Dr. KOO has developed support programs for emerging scholars and undergraduates, nurturing the next generation of regional specialists and expanding Korea's academic presence in this field. Her acclaimed publications include "Making their Own Public: Emotion and Self among the Urban Iranian Youth" and "The Arab Spring and Ten Years Thereafter," both recognized as Outstanding Academic Books by the Ministry of Education. She has also published numerous papers in Korean and international academic journals. Dr. KOO's work as researcher, mentor, and public intellectual has significantly advanced West Asian and Middle Eastern studies in Korea while fostering connections between Korean academia and global scholarly networks. Through her multifaceted contributions, she continues to bridge cultural and academic divides while elevating the discourse on West Asian society and politics.