Barik has a strong commitment to empowering Arab youth and creating a culture of dissemination of knowledge about the Arab world. He received the MEPI Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship, pursuing his BA in Political Science/International Affairs at the Lebanese American University (LAU), Lebanon. Among other positions at LAU, Barik served as the Secretary-General of LAU's Model Arab League Program.

He took part in numerous youth and leadership programs, including: the Consultation and High-Level dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security in the Arab Region, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung youth dialogue in Berlin, the AIPES program in Prague, the Global Outreach and Leadership Development program in New York, and he was invited to be part of the Youth Committee of Mentor Arabia; a regional non-governmental organisation missioned with empowering Arab youth. Recently, Barik was selected as a Youth Ambassador for Wilton Park's 'Powering the Future' series of youth dialogues. 

After completing his MA in International Relations from the University of Nottingham, UK, Barik joined the Human Security Team at the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Institute in Jordan, supporting the research and implementation of countering Violent Extremism Projects.