Ilker Gündoğan

Dr. Ilker Gündoğan is a Research Fellow at the ESSCA School of Management’s EU*Asia Institute and an Affiliate Researcher at the Jean Monnet Centre for EU-Asia Connectivity at Ruhr University Bochum. His work bridges institutional analysis, political economy, and sport diplomacy in contemporary China.

Research Interests: Gündoğan specializes in Chinese political governance through the lens of actor-centered institutionalism. His focus areas include:

• Top-Level Design and institutional reform under Xi Jinping
• Sports policy as a tool for diplomatic engagement
• EU-China geopolitical dynamics
• Technology & innovation policy implementation

Scientific Awards:

• PhD scholarship from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (2018-2022)

Research Grants: His doctoral work was funded by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, supporting empirical analysis of Chinese policy mechanisms.