Salih Kaya completed his undergraduate education in 2019 at Galatasaray University's Department of International Relations. He earned his master's degree in 2020 at the University of Kent, completing a double major in International Political Economy and International Development. Since 2022, he has been pursuing his education in the Doctoral Program in International Relations at Galatasaray University. His doctoral research focuses on geo-economics and the political implications of trade corridors. Kaya has worked in various institutions in both the public and private sectors, including the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), Ernst & Young and the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Turkey. His areas of expertise include geo-economics, defense industry, and global trade policies. His academic work focuses on defense industry ecosystems, the economic policy of the Turkish defense industry, and the geo-strategic impact analysis of economic corridors.