Eric Balan is a Development Economist and an Assistant Professor who teaches International Business, Regional Economics, and Global Strategies. His research interest is in the geographical region of China and Central Asia where he studies on the geopolitics, the geoeconomics, and the geostrategies of the region. His notable work entitled “Rich or Poor: Evaluating Central Asia’s Economic Condition” had garnered a large readership that led to the pursuance of his books. His current focus is on the research and development of China’s Belt and Road Initiatives in unravelling economic synergisms between China and its partners. With 15 years of managerial corporate experience spanning across 7 industries, Eric is a trained analytical engineer and holds a PhD in International Economics.