Principal Fellow ; Director
Center for Regional Studies
Areas of Expertise : Middle East and North Africa, comparative politics (democratization, political Islam, state-building), political economy (Islamic capital, oil economy, market reforms in the Middle East), international relations (terrorism, regional security), international development cooperation (ODA)
Dr. JANG Ji-Hyang is a Principal Fellow and director of the Center for Regional Studies at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Dr. Jang served as a policy advisor on Middle East issues to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2012-2018). Previously, Dr. Jang taught comparative and Middle East politics at Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Ewha Woman’s University, and the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Her research interests include political economy of the Middle East and North Africa, political Islam, comparative democratization, terrorism, and state-building. Dr. Jang is the author of numerous books and articles, including The Essential Guide to the Middle East (Sigongsa 2023 in Korean), The Arab Spring: Will It Lead to Democratic Transitions?(with Clement M. Henry (eds.), Palgrave Macmillan 2013), “Disaggregated ISIS and the New Normal of Terrorism” (Asan Issue Brief 2016), “Islamic Fundamentalism” (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences 2008) and a Korean translation of Fawaz Gerges’ Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy (Asan Institute 2011). Dr. Jang received a B.A. in Turkish studies and M.A. in political science from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Texas at Austin.
Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Texas at Austin (1998.09~2005.08)
M.A. in Political Science, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (1994.09~1997.02)
B.A. in Turkish Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (1990.03~1994.08)
Former Policy Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Former Board Member, Korean Political Science Association, Korean Association of International Studies, Korean Association of Middle East Studies, Korean Association of Islamic Studies
Former Lecturer, Catholic University of Korea, Sogang University, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Ewha Woman's University, and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Former Lecturer, Civil Servants Training Program, Korea International Cooperation Agency