Hello. I am Kadir Jun Ayhan, a higher education and research leader with 15+ years of experience advancing research excellence, organizational capacity, and strategic growth across academic, nonprofit, and government settings in the United States and internationally.
I currently serve as Associate Director of Research Development at James Madison University, where I support institutional research strategy, faculty development, interdisciplinary collaboration, external funding growth, and global research initiatives. As part of a growing research enterprise, I have contributed to building research development infrastructure, strengthening faculty training and incentive programs, expanding international strategic partnerships, and enhancing institutional competitiveness for external funding.
Previously, I held leadership and faculty positions in South Korea, including as Associate Professor, Ph.D. Program Director, Department Head, and Executive Director. I had the privilege of serving as a member of the Korean Presidential Transition Panel in 2022, as a member of a presidential special committee on immigration in 2023, and as a member of Korea Foundation Steering Advisory Committee for Empowerment of Cultural Exchanges and Cooperation between 2021 and 2023, providing expertise on public policy and diplomacy. I am also the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Public Diplomacy.
My work combines research development, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, proposal development, capacity building, organizational effectiveness, and culture change. As a PI/ co-PI, I have secured and managed approximately $1.8 million in externally funded projects while building collaborations spanning universities, government agencies, foundations, and civil society organizations. I have also contributed to institutional efforts supporting more in large and complex proposal submissions.
As a scholar of diplomacy and international affairs, I have authored more than 40 scholarly publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and three edited volumes. My research focuses on diplomacy, public diplomacy, soft power, international exchanges, and the evaluation of public diplomacy and international engagement initiatives.
I am passionate about helping organizations translate ideas into impact through research, innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based strategy. I leverage data science, coding, automation, and AI-enabled workflows to improve efficiency, strengthen decision-making, and allow organizations to focus more of their time and resources on high-value work such as research and stakeholder engagement.
I earned my Ph.D. and master’s in International Studies with a focus on diplomacy and East Asian Studies from Seoul National University. Prior to that, I completed my Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and International Trade at the University of Auckland.
I am fluent in English, Korean, and Turkish.
I am based in Washington D.C.