Dr. Dilara Hekimci-Adak
She was born and raised in Istanbul. After graduating as high school valedictorian, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations at Bahçeşehir University with a full scholarship. She then pursued a Master’s Degree in Philosophy and Social Thought at Bilgi University, where she authored her thesis on the relationship between nationalism and soccer in Turkey. Subsequently, she returned to Bahceşehir University and earned her Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations and authored her doctoral dissertation on clientelism and democracy in Latin America, while simultaneously working as a teaching assistant. Currently, Dr. Hekimci-Adak is pursuing her second Ph.D. at Florida International University’s School of International and Public Affairs, with a major in comparative politics and a minor in American politics, with a teaching assistantship at the university. Her research interests include democratization, political institutions, and voting behavior, particularly in developing countries. Furthermore, she is also one of the founders and the sitting president of Florida International University’s Turkish Student Association.