Assist. Prof. Dr. Muhammed Erkam Kocakaya is an assistant professor in the Department of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations, Faculty of Economics, İstanbul University. He completed his Ph.D. at İstanbul University with a comparative dissertation on labor market governance in Islamic countries, focusing on Türkiye, Malaysia, and Indonesia. He has served as a principal investigator and researcher in several projects focusing on young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET), labor market participation, migration intentions, and disadvantaged groups. He has also participated in research projects supported by TÜBİTAK, public institutions, and local governments and has published in national and international academic journals. He currently serves as an expert and report coordinator for the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye’s Parliamentary Research Commission on the Problems of Persons with Disabilities. His research interests include labor economics, labor market governance, employment and unemployment, youth and NEET, social policy, disadvantaged groups, and migration.