Dr. CHANG Hyeyoung is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Chung-Ang University, Republic of Korea. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from Chung-Ang University, and earned a second M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on comparative politics, urban politics, international development cooperation, and democratic governance, with a particular interest in the international role of cities, megacity-regions, and democratic resilience. She has collaborated extensively with the Korea Foundation (KF), serving since 2011 as deputy program manager and participating professor in the KF Global e-School Program. She also serves as the program director of the KF Public Diplomacy Academy, directing initiatives that have linked research, education, and public diplomacy since 2021. Dr. CHANG also contributes to policymaking as an advisor and committee member in several governmental bodies, including the Committee for International Development Cooperation (2018–2022), the Ministry of Economy and Finance (2019–2022), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2018–present), and the Ministry of Personnel Management (2021–2024). She has published numerous journal articles and book chapters and continues researching the intersection of urban governance, international cooperation, and democracy in crisis.