Dr. Alireza Naficy, a Ph.D. graduate in Development Management from the University of Tehran, holds a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology and a Master's degree in Management with a focus on Organizational Development from Sharif University of Technology. His professional background includes policymaking at state-level in science and technology and ICT sectors and community-based development practices in the NGO level. His doctoral thesis investigated five diverse cases of community-based local development in Iran. His studies and research, both domestically and internationally, have primarily focused on "Development Studies," "Social Change," and "Governance Structure," including a 6-month sabbatical at the Institute for Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands and a postdoctoral research fellow at Sharif Policy Research Institute (SPRI) at Sharif University of Technology. Dr. Naficy has also engaged in writing, conducting workshops and seminars, producing media content, and implementing evidence-based projects in various governmental agencies, NGOs, and the private sector.