Begüm Burak is an independent political scientist whose research, teaching and writing focus on democracy, media, human rights, online freedoms, AI in education and politics, Turkish politics, and critical discourse analysis. Dr. Burak served as a Turkey country expert for V-Dem Institute, a Sweden-based democracy research organization, and currently serves as a board member for The Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, and the Social Sciences Advancement Dialogue Network. Her publications include the book, The Image of the Undesired Citizens in Turkey (2022), based on her 2015 Ph.D. dissertation, and numerous articles in peer-reviewed academic journals plus news and opinion outlets including History Studies, Cyberpolitik Journal, e-Journal of Media & Society, European Journal of Economic and Political Studies, Modern Diplomacy, and Foreign Policy News.  Dr. Burak earned her Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from Fatih University, her M.A. in Public Administration from Istanbul University, and her B.A., in Political Science and International Relations from Marmara University, all in Istanbul, Turkey, where she is based.