Helin Yildiz served as trainee for the MENA Centre at ISPI. She holds a Bachelor's in Political Science and a Master's in International Relations and EU Studies from the University of Bologna. During her studies she took part in exchange programs at the Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey and at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; she was also visiting research student at the University of Central Florida (USA), where she conducted academic research for her thesis on the Kurdish-led governance in northern Syria and its geopolitical impact on the region. She obtained ISPI's Diploma in European Affairs.