Dr Tarek Cherkaoui is the Manager of the TRT World Research Centre. He has extensive experience in strategic management, research, and consultancy across international media, tertiary education, and the creative industries. He is an expert in international media and strategic communications, and holds a Ph.D. in Media and Communication Studies from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. His research interests include international broadcasting, media discourse, international news framing, information warfare, public diplomacy, soft power, nation branding, image management, crisis communication, and political and military affairs – specifically within the MENA region. He has put forward several publications, including ‘The News Media at War: The Clash of Western and Arab Networks in the Middle East’ (2017).