Dr. Christian Koch  
Research Director for International Studies at the Gulf Research Center

Dr. Koch particular interest and specialty is that of GCC-EU Relations and the overall development of the Gulf’s ties with the European Union and its member states. His responsibilities range from managing the research staff and devising the research agenda, arranging the Center's outreach programs and working with the Chairman to establish the GRC's work plan. He was formerly the Head of the Strategic Studies Section at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), a position he held for 6 years.

Dr. Koch has authored and edited well over 30 published articles and books in both English and German, many of which have been syndicated in local and international newspapers. His books include: A Window of Opportunity: Europe, Gulf Security and the Aftermath of the Iraq War, editor with Felix Neugart (Dubai: Gulf Research Center); Unfulfilled Potential: Exploring the GCC-EU Relationship, editor (Dubai: Gulf Research Center); and Gulf Security in the Twenty-First Century, editor with David Long (London: I.B. Tauris). He received his doctorate in political science in 1999 from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität in Erlangen-Nürnberg with a dissertation on the role of voluntary association in the political development of Kuwait.