Dr. Essam Abdelshafy holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from Cairo University, Faculty of Economics and Political sciences, Political Sciences Department, 2009 (PHD thesis: US Policy towards Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Study in the Effect of the Religious Aspect). He also holds an MA in Political Science from the same department, 2003 (Master’s thesis: The role of Muslim Minorities in the American Society). He also received a BA in Political Science from Cairo University, 1992. Dr. Essam is the founder and the current chairman of the International Relations Academy in Turkey since January 2017.