Election Under Siege: The Struggle for Moldova’s European Dream 
Stop Ecocide Now – The Environmental Damage and Criminal Punishment in Europe 
A Closer Look at the Strategic Green Hydrogen Partnership in Namibia: Emphasizing its Economic, Social and Environmental Dimensions 
Foreign Policy: a Challenge for European Governance? Editor-in-Chief
Anne Noël
Anne is an International Studies graduate with a passion for all things research, culture and social justice. During her degree, she focused on gender studies, climate justice, and moral panics and gained experience as a student podcast host and academic consultant.
Since then she has gained experience within various non-profit contexts: from being a museum assistant, research assistant at Leiden University or project management assistant at a feminist library in Luxembourg.
She is excited to join the board as Editor-in-Chief and looks forward to a fruitful collaboration with other EST members to produce high quality outputs from the perspective of students and young professionals.
Anne speaks Luxembourgish, French, German, English and some Spanish and Dutch.
Deputy Editors-in-Chief
Martina Canesi
Martina is pursuing a master’s in Diplomatic Studies at LUISS University in Rome, after earning a Bachelor’s degree in International Politics, Law, and Economics, followed by a two year Master’s degree in Policies and Governance in Europe. Passionate about EU foreign policy, Turkish politics, and the protection of reproductive rights, she gained valuable experience during her internships at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
As Deputy Editor in Chief at the European Student Think Tank, Martina is committed to fostering informed debate on European governance and amplifying student perspectives on key issues shaping the future of the continent.
Giulia Cera – European Policy Review (EPR)
Originally from Italy, Giulia is attending the last semester of her Joint Master’s Degree in People, Rights and Resources in Hannover, Germany.
She has a Bachelor’s Degree in French and English applied to International Relations and, during her BA years, she developed a deep interest in international politics, with a keen interest in North Africa and the Caucasus.
Giulia has also long worked with other Italian students’ associations in the fields of international relations and youth empowerment and she is thrilled to expand her horizons working with the European Student Think Tank.
Douaa Safar – European Policy Prize
Douaa Saffar is a second-year Master’s student in Political Science with a strong academic background in international relations, having earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a minor in Political Science from the Faculty of Governance, Economic and Social Sciences. She has participated in an exchange semester at the University of Stirling, further broadening her global perspective. Douaa has worked as a teaching assistant and interned at various prestigious institutions, including the Maghreb Arab Press, the Moroccan National Office of Tourism as well the Ministry of Economy and Finances. Her research interests include donor priorities in post-conflict and fragile states, with a focus on the interplay between security, stabilization, and long-term development.
Editors
Stefano Bates
Stefano is a dual Italian and English national. He graduated in Politics with Economics at Loughborough University, where he developed a keen interest in China, emerging technology and foreign policy. Recently, he advanced his expertise with an MSc in China and Globalisation at King’s College London and has been independently learning Mandarin through university language courses to strengthen his cross-cultural understanding. A passionate advocate for volunteering, he has contributed to initiatives supporting Sino-European relations, notably as Senior Partnerships and Fundraising Officer at the European Guanxi Think Tank. Now, as an Editor at the European Student Think Tank, he applies strategic insight and editorial skills to foster meaningful discourse on Sino-European issues.
Emily Buckley Bunn – Social Policy and Human Rights
Emily is from the UK and is based in London.
She studied a Philosophy BA at Durham University, where her research interests included Social Philosophy, Metaphysics and Aesthetics. Before studying Philosophy, she obtained a Foundation Diploma in Fine Art from University of the Arts London (UAL).
Since graduating, she has worked for several arts organisations in London and has also spent time teaching music to children at a local charity. She has a particular interest in social policy and arts policy.
Emily is keen to use the skills she gained in studying Philosophy to edit and craft high quality articles. She is also excited to learn from others at the EST, and develop her understanding of policy and European affairs.
Alessia Calarese
Alessia recently graduated from the University of York obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Political Sciences. During this time, she developed an interest in political sociology, encompassing a wide range of topics from identity to sustainable development. Her focus lies at the intersection of politics, international relations, and social change. In her current professional role, she aspires to contribute to current discussions and innovative solutions for a more equitable and socially conscious world.
Iorgus-Serghei Ciala – Economic and Social Policy
Iorgus is a first-year master’s student of “Policy Analysis” at Bocconi University and has a solid background in economics and political studies. Driven by a genuine passion for causal methods applied across the social sciences, he has authored and edited numerous articles centred on policymaking and macroeconomics both as peer reviewer for IAPSS and as editor at the EST. Sharing a particular interest for game theory and applied econometrics, Iorgus is eager to uncover complex policy dynamics through both sound analytical frameworks and robust empirical models. Finally, he is beyond excited to embark on his second editorial mandate and thus contribute to the much-needed production of thought-provoking inquiries by talented students united under their shared sense of critical agency.
Cora Crew-Gee
Cora graduated a year ago from her BA in Politics at the University of Leeds, where she focussed on queer studies and human rights. She now works in Kyoto as an an assistant manager in a hotel. Volunteering with the European Student Think Tank gives her the opportunity to keep up to date with political theory. In her down time, she likes to read, sew, and explore her local area.
Elpida Dalietou
Elpida is a Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpreting graduate and is currently working as a Communications Officer for a London-based shipping company. Some of her interests include: EU politics and foreign affairs, environmental law, diplomacy, security and defense in the Mediterranean, as well as intercultural communication, among others. Elpida’s expertise has been further honed through internships and roles in journalism, translation, and project management, including work with esteemed think tanks all over Europe. She is fluent in six languages and is currently advancing her skills with courses in Python and data analysis to integrate technical knowledge with her communication expertise.
Lenaïg Deslandes
Lenaïg Deslandes has graduated from Leiden University with a BSc in International Relations. She is currently pursuing a gap year after having completed her undergraduate thesis on commercial actors in space as relating to US national interests and space security. Her interests revolve around US/EU relations with China, Chinese foreign policy, international security, and space strategy.
Lucia Duque-Teva
She graduated from International Relations and is currently studying the LMM in EU Law.
Celina Dieu Anh Ferrari Nguyen
Celina Dieu Anh Ferrari Nguyen is Bachelor’s student in Global Governance, Economics and Legal Order Graduate at Esade (Spain), with a focus on International Economics. Having lived in across the world throughout her life, she grew interested in International Affairs. Recently, she worked in a capstone project on Private Equity in Sub-Saharan Africa for the European Investment Bank (EIB) and interned in the Kiel Institute for the World Economy for the Ukraine Support Tracker (UST). Through this experience, Celina grew to value the impact of research and aspires to become a prominent researcher in her field. She is passionate about geopolitics, human rights and security. Celina joined EST in February 2023 as an editor and has edited for the Sixth EPR Volume.
Anca Grigorescu – Foreign Policy & Security Team
Anca is a dynamic young professional from Romania, currently based in Brussels, where she excels as an influencer marketing expert, leading social media campaigns for the European Commission. Beyond her professional role, Anca is deeply passionate about research in defence and security, with a particular focus on the Middle East. She is especially interested in military studies, with a keen fascination for the global operations and strategic impact of the U.S. military, particularly the work and missions of special operators around the world. Her work reflects a blend of strategic communication expertise and a strong analytical mind dedicated to global security and military affairs.
Amelia Kalecinska – Current Events and Domestic Affairs
Amelia is a third-year BSc honours Computer Science student at VU Amsterdam with a strong passion for the intersection of technology, ethics, and politics. Her academic focus lies in the socio-political implications of artificial intelligence, particularly within the European context. Amelia is deeply interested in how AI can shape societal structures, influ
Benjamin Koponen
Benjamin graduated from his MSc in Political Science in October 2023, wherein he focused on Pan-Africanism, Black identity, and globalisation. He has worked as a journalistic interviewer and interviewed LGBTQ migrant activists, lobbyists, and a prosecutor from the ICC. He also operated a radio show about Black Joy (entitled, Radiant Resistance) for two months. Alongside these opportunities he has been engaged with human rights research specifically focusing on the right to education. In September of 2024, he started working as a freelance writer/journalist.
Paul O’Brien
Paul is a master’s student studying Governance and European Studies at the Universities of Passau (Germany) and Ljubljana (Slovenia). Having completed his Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Political Sciences from The University of Freiburg, he spent some time in Brussels and Belgrade gaining experience in European Policy making. Having grown up in Luxembourg with parents from Ireland, Paul has always been passionate about European politics and the processes involved in European integration. Model United Nations has also been a big part of Paul’s previous experience, having held a number of positions at numerous conferences including having headed the organizing team of Freiburg’s first international MUN conference.
Beatriz Raichande – Economics
Originally from Portugal, Beatriz is currently based in Brussels, working in the European Parliament.
She’s an International Relations graduate and holds a Master Degree in International Economics and European Studies from ISEG. Her master thesis got to be published and presented in the Office for Studies of the Portuguese Ministry of Economy, addressing EU’s lithium dependence through the light of the strategic autonomy concept.
Before starting her internship in the Secretariat of the Budget Committee of the European Parliament, Beatriz worked as a Financial Project Analyst at Nokia, assisting the team responsible for governments and state-owned enterprises’ projects.
This is her second term at EST and she hopes to continue to explore her passion for EU economics, finance and trade policy.
Irene Reyes Suero
Irene is currently pursuing a specialization in International, European, and Comparative Law at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in Paris. Passionate about global security, human rights, cultural diplomacy, and criminal justice policy, she thrives on continuous learning and embraces opportunities to explore new fields.
Her professional journey includes roles at diplomatic institutions and international organizations, such as UNESCO and INTERPOL. Beyond her professional pursuits, Irene actively collaborates with organizations that promote female leadership (WIL Europe) and champion youth involvement in cultural heritage (ESACH).
Hannah Shakespeare
Hannah Shakespeare is a publishing professional, employed in the academic journal publishing industry. She has a degree in literature from the University of York, and a masters degree in publishing from City, University of London. She is passionate about how the wider dissemination of knowledge and research can decrease inequalities; keen to support research on environmental policy and climate change; and serious about engaging in conversations about the importance of both education, and political engagement and representation. She is a firm believer in the importance of access to art and culture.
Daniele Sorato – Human Rights
Daniele is an Italian student who is currently finishing his Master’s degree in International Relations at the University of Bologna, while also holding a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies and European Institutions from the University of Milan.
He speaks Italian, English, Spanish, and German, to go along with some lackluster effort in adding new languages. He joined the EST in 2024 because of his interest in human rights, international politics, and editing.
Alice Thomas – Foreign Policy & Security and Defence
Alice lives in Glasgow, Scotland and currently works in the Internationalisation Team at the University of Glasgow Law School. She holds a BA in Sociology from the University of York and an LLM in Professional Legal Practice from the University of Law. She has also participated in study abroad opportunities in Lithuania, Canada, Japan, Kosovo and China. Most recently, she was awarded a scholarship from the Estonian government to study a summer course at the University of Tallinn. In her spare time, Alice volunteers for a start-up which aims to help European lawyers improve their English-speaking skills.
Nurmukhamed Tokmukhamedov
Nurmukhamed studies Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick and Sciences Po Bordeaux. He is very passionate about field of Political Economy, Public Policy, Economic Development and Democratization.
Lucia Torlai
Lucia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Venice University, and a MA in European Studies from KU Leuven University. She has two years of traineeship working experience in Brussels in the Bruegel think tank (fundraising and project management) and in the European Parliament’s Research Service (research and policy analysis). She also just graduated her Advanced Master’s at VUB, specialising in EU Environmental and Climate Governance, and EU Digital Policy. She is currently a volunteer for the European Solidarity Corps in Bulgaria.
Lucia is passionate about EU foreign affairs, learning languages, and helping others.
Coming from Kazakhstan, he is very inspired to blend his insight and thought with ideas from non-European countries as well as contribute positively to the development of conscious decision-making.
Kristina Welsch – Current Events & Domestic Affairs
Kristina is a master’s student in the interdisciplinary Master’s Programme in Civic Education at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria. She holds a BA in Political Science with a minor in Communication Studies from LMU Munich, Germany.
In her BA-thesis, she dealt with the concept of the political centre being the heart piece of democracy and a middle-class illusion at the same time.
Having worked as an assistant to a professor and in the field of science communication, she is passionate about political theory, political and social psychology, interdisciplinary work and (civic) education topics.
Kristina has joined the EST in the 2023/2024 term.
Jessica White
Jessica is from Liverpool, but currently works as a public sector consultant in Manchester.
She has recently graduated from the University of Oxford where she studied History, focussing particularly on the crises, conflicts and emerging identities of European History from 1914-1989, and the Jewish history in Poland from the eighteenth century to the present day. She has addressed broader European politics of memory, for which the presence (or absence) of minorities remain central.
She is passionate about migration and gender equality, her experience working with an NGO helping trauma victims in Palestine and Ukraine have shaped her passion for European politics. Jessica is looking to study a Masters in International Development next September.