Volkan Tibet Gur

Welcome,

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I am a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at Rutgers University, and I am on the job market during the 2025-2026 academic year. My research examines how contemporary geopolitical and environmental risks reshape strategic behavior in international politics, with a focus on territorial disputes, energy politics, and corporate political activity.

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Contested territory lies at the heart of international conflict, and today most disputes unfold at sea, where weaker territorial integrity norms intersect with energy security concerns and competition over resource-rich areas. My research investigates the domestic political and energy market conditions that explain when and why these disputes escalate into military conflict. Using computational text analysis of parliamentary speeches, online survey experiments, and large-N data on maritime disputes, I show how perceived losses of sovereignty and resource access unify elite rhetoric, mobilize public support, and exacerbate credible commitment problems that heighten the risk of militarization.

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In parallel, my political economy research examines how multinational corporations navigate rising geopolitical and climate risks. I investigate the drivers and consequences of corporate political activity, with a particular focus on climate self-regulation as a strategy to preempt public regulation. My findings show how sectoral exposure, foreign ownership, and ideological alignment shape both firm behavior and societal responses, revealing why companies undertake costly voluntary actions and how these efforts influence public demand for regulation.

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Methodologically, I combine computational text analysis, survey experiments, and quantitative models to capture how citizens, states, and firms adapt to shifting distributions of power, risk, and regulation. My research has previously appeared in Economics & Politics and Turkish Studies.