Mariami Aliashvili

Mariami graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Tbilisi State University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in European Affairs at Lund University. As a high school student, she was awarded a U.S. government scholarship to study in the United States through the FLEX exchange program. During her bachelor’s studies, she participated in an Erasmus exchange program at Trier University in Germany. She has professional experience as a Corruption Monitor with Transparency International Georgia and volunteered in the EU-supported Young European Ambassadors program in Georgia. Additionally, she spent one year as an International Officer at the European Student Think Tank (EST), where she enjoyed her work and decided to continue with the team, now focusing on writing and generating knowledge for herself and her peers.

Anita Ambrosi

Anita graduated from a master degree in Welfare Policies and Social Research. She studied the different types of welfare regimes present in Europe and focused on gender policies, work-life balance and the impact of the ageing population on society.

She previously got a bachelor degree in Languages and Cultures of the MENA region, that gave her the opportunity to study briefly in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, and took a postgraduate diploma in Migratory Phenomena and Social Transformations.

Anita is fluent in Italian and English, has an intermediate knowledge of French and Arabic and a basic knowledge of Turkish.
She is passionate about social inclusion, human rights and the role of activism in social change.

Egemen Aray

Egemen is completing a Bachelor’s degree in International Politics and Government at Bocconi University, where he was awarded a full scholarship. His academic interests include electoral politics, democratic backsliding, migration, gender, and European & Middle Eastern politics. Egemen has gained experience through roles in various organizations. He joined Vesaire’s newsroom in 2023 and interned at the Freedom Research Association. Last summer at Humboldt University in Berlin, Egemen contributed to Dr. Saskia Schäfer’s research on democracy, secularity, and Islam in Indonesia and Turkey. His academic journey includes an exchange semester at Sciences Po. Fluent in English and Turkish, Egemen is based in Milan, Italy.

Guillermo Arranz

Originally from Seville, Spain, Guillermo recently graduated with a dual degree in Law and International Relations from Loyola Andalucía University. During his studies, he spent a year at Roskilde University in Denmark, where he discovered his passion for research. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Legal Practice at the Bar Association of Seville, aiming to specialize in International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.

His professional experience includes roles as a Legal Tax Intern at Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira and as a student researcher at Roskilde University with Professor Angela Bourne. He currently contributes to the project Ethics and Cosmopolitan Justice in the Iberian School of Peace and Ibero-American Scholasticism at Loyola Andalucía University.

Patrícia Bragança Moreira

Patrícia Bragança is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences and Humanities at Sciences Po Paris, with a focus on politics and government. Currently based in Dublin for an exchange year at Trinity College School of Law, she plans to pursue a Master’s in a field related to public affairs or international law for the 2025-2026 academic year. Originally from Andorra, Patrícia has interned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Andorra and is currently a Democracy and Social Inclusion Research Assistant at TASC – Think-tank for Action on Social Change. She is passionate about geopolitics, European affairs, human rights advocacy, and journalism, bringing a multicultural perspective to her work with fluency in five languages.

Andrea Campo

Andrea has recently graduated with a master’s degree in International Relations at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome. Before his master’s degree, he attended a summer school named War and Diplomacy at King’s College London, where he developed his interest in security and war studies.

For his master’s thesis, Andrea analyzed how the development of the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union influenced the changes in the security policies of the Nordic countries.

As part of his degree, he spent one semester as exchange student at the University of Oslo and three months doing an internship at the General Consulate of Italy in Zürich.

He speaks Italian, English, French, and some Spanish.

Alex Collado Menéndez

Alex Collado is a 21 years old International Relations student at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. He collaborates with many European organizations on the promotion of youth participation in democratic life.

His main areas of interest include EU law, international law and security issues. He has been working as delegate of his university to the European alliance UNIC and currently he is working as research assistant for the Human Rights Institute.

Francesca Di Bernardo

Originally from Teramo and now based in Brussels, I work in the field of Circular Economy. Passionate about exploring new places and cultures, I enjoy discovering and learning about the world around me.

Wissal El Hamaoui

Wissal is a dedicated scholar with a strong academic foundation in political science, international relations, and law. Holding dual bachelor’s degrees from Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and the University of Rennes, she expanded their expertise through an exchange semester at Sciences Po Toulouse. Currently, Wissal is pursuing a master’s degree in European and International Studies at Paul Valéry University Montpellier III. Passionate about European and international affairs, she actively contributes through research and writing on these subjects, while participating in Erasmus projects to engage with Europe’s diverse cultures and political landscapes. Wissal’s experiences provide a rich perspective on European dynamics, enhancing their commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding.

Carla Forster – Democracy and Extremism

Carla, originally from Germany, is currently based in Brussels, where she works as a Policy and Research Development Officer at the University of Bristol Europe Office. Additionally, she currently leads a project about youth participation in democracy for the German charity Strong Democracy e.V. She holds a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Bristol. Her research interests focus on democracy, extremism and social cohesion, which she has previously written articles on for the Bristol Social Science Review. Carla has experience in project management and research through acting as Editor-in-Chief for the University of Bristol Student Research Journal as well as two positions as Research Assistant. She is fluent in German and English and learning French and Spanish.

Ceren Gökçeyrek

Ceren graduated with honors from Bilkent University in January 2024 with a degree in International Relations. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Public Affairs at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome, focusing on global crime, gender, and human rights. With extensive experience in NGOs dedicated to women’s and children’s rights, Ceren is deeply committed to promoting human rights and reducing inequalities. She holds certifications in child rights education and combines her academic expertise with a passion for creating meaningful change. Ceren aims to contribute to international institutions working on development, gender equity, and global policy, leveraging her knowledge and dedication to drive impactful solutions.

Aryna Golovach

Aryna is currently in her second year of a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Ghent. She is planning to major in Political Science during her third year. Having a multicultural background such as living in three countries and speaking four languages, and currently learning a fifth, she developed a strong interest in international relations, cross-cultural issues and human rights. She took part in a short-term Erasmus project on accessible inclusive rights and is looking forward to gain more international experience in the future. Her diverse past experiences have shaped her goals in addressing global challenges through thoughtful research.

Anca Grigorescu – Foreign Policy & Security

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.

Hugo Le Ménès-Rego

Hugo Le Ménès-Rego recently graduated from a Bachelor of Arts at McGill University and is now a first year Master’s student in European Studies at the Institute for European Studies of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (IEE-ULB). He is deeply interested in foreign affairs and is currently focusing his upcoming thesis on exploring Russian disinformation campaigns among EU member states and the Union’s strategic response.

Chiara Marino

She is a bachelor’s graduate of International Politics, Law and Economics at the University of Milan. She has started her second year of the Master of Science in Economics (MSE) offered by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and the University of Pisa, while working as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Economics at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies.

In her previous publication on the Student Economic Review (SER) of Trinity College Dublin and her bachelor thesis, she focused on environmental issues and their impact on the labour market in developing countries. She is passionate about economic policy especially in the context of the climate crisis and is strongly interested in finding new approaches to economic analysis.

Saee Mandhare

Saee is in her final year of a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Amsterdam, with a minor in Economics. Originally from Mumbai, India, she is currently living in Amsterdam. Passionate about social science research, her academic interests focus on development studies, policy making, and migration. She hopes to explore these topics to produce insightful articles as her role as a Writer for the EST.

Marie Mink

Marie has been serving as a writer at the EST since the beginning of 2023 and has written articles on the ICJ case of South Africa v Israel and the war crimes committed in Ukraine by Russia‘s military invasion. She has graduated with an LL.B (Hons) the summer of 2024 and is currently pursuing a master‘s in International Criminal Justice.

Sarah-Lou Philippe

Sarah-Lou holds a Master’s degree in European and International Public Policy from The London School of Economics and Political Science. Prior to that, she completed a dual bachelor’s degree program in international relations and law. She is now specialized in gender policies and EU law, and aspires to leverage this interdisciplinary knowledge to conduct research exploring the intricate connections between these two fields. Besides her studies, she is passionate about traveling, and has lived abroad for most of her life – Hong Kong, Switzerland, UK, Hawaii, etc. When abroad, she spends time doing sports and enjoying nature, especially mountains.

Muhammad Rauhan Rasheed

Muhammad Rauhan Rasheed is a postgraduate student of Development Studies from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities (S3H), a prestigious school of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad. Rauhan completed his bachelor’s in international relations from the National Defense University Islamabad (NDU). He has written a Bachelor’s thesis titled ‘Wolf-Warrior Diplomacy: Origins, Conduct, and Impact.’ His interests include South Asian politics, China’s foreign policy, ethnic conflicts, European affairs, and research methodologies.

Vera Rodríguez Corcho – Human Rights and Foreign Affairs

Vera Rodríguez Corcho holds a degree in Political Science and a Master’s in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe. She has experience in academic research and volunteering with youth. Passionate about human rights, EU foreign affairs, and sustainability, she combines her academic background with a love for learning, traveling, and languages to explore and contribute to solutions for global challenges.

Trystanto Sanjaya

Trystanto Sanjaya is a master’s student in geopolitics and business at the Rennes School of Business in Rennes, France. He received his undergraduate degree in international relations from Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where he graduated as valedictorian. Additionally, in 2023, he spent five months at Sciences Po Paris as an exchange student. His research includes regional security in the Indo-Pacific, maritime security, Indonesia’s foreign policy, geopolitics of Europe-Asia relations, and the US Foreign Policy. Since 2021, he has published eight academic articles in prestigious journals, including the Yale Review of International Studies and the Tamkang Journal of International Affairs. He has also published dozens of opinion articles in prestigious opinion and media outlets, such as The Jakarta Post and the East Asia Forum.

Tom Scheer

Tom is a Luxembourgish student at the PPLE college in Amsterdam, majoring in political science. He began writing in his first year at university and is eager to contribute to the EST. His main interests lie in foreign and security policy.

Jennifer Shoemaker

Jennifer, a dual citizen of Russia and the United States, has been based in Paris, France for over 4 years. She has grown up internationally – having resided in Russia, the UAE, Indonesia, the US, and Malaysia. She has recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in International & Comparative Politics and a double minor in French and International Law from The American University of Paris. She has internship experiences in asylum court research, business, political engagement, and news reporting. She also has volunteering experience with multiple refugee support initiatives. She is happy to be part of the team as a Writer and has special interest in European security, particularly topics such as the Russia-Ukraine war, NATO, radicalization, and counterterrorism. She plans to pursue postgraduate studies in international security and intelligence.

Andri Stavrou

Andri holds a Bachelor’s degree in French with European studies from the University of Cyprus, a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and an MBA. During her master’s thesis at the ULB, she focused on U.S. foreign policy in Iraq.

She completed internships at the Diplomatic Missions of Cyprus in Brussels where she focused on Public Diplomacy and EU Foreign Policy. Moreover, at the Institut Emile Vandervelde (IEV), study centre of the Belgian Socialist Party, she specialised in Belgium’s security and defense policies.

Throughout her academic and professional career, she developed a keen interest in International Affairs and particularly in Foreign Policy. A Native Greek speaker, she is also fluent in English, French and Dutch, with some knowledge of German.

Pablo Villar Bolaños

Pablo holds a Double Bachelor’s Degree in Law and International Relations from the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. During the third year of his undergraduate studies, he had the opportunity to study for a semester at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and, in the final year, to collaborate on the elaboration of the 2030 Strategic Plan for his home city, San Sebastian. His interests include Great Power Competition, Outer Space Security, and post-Soviet Space, but as an inherently curious mind, he is always learning about different subfields.

Pola Zabuska – Human Rights and Environment

Pola is originally from Poland, but she studied her Bachelor’s Degree in The Hague, The Netherlands. She is currently pursuing her Master in Political Science, specializing in European Politics at the University of Amsterdam. Her electives this year are about Sustainable Societies and Climate Finance.

Her interest in international and European affairs revolves strongly around the issues of climate change, and sustainability, as well as, human rights and migration. They are exemplified by her experiences as an Intern at the Sustainable Development unit in the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Human Rights Research internship at the European Foundation of Human Rights.

This is Pola’s second year at the EST and she is excited to continue her exciting journey in this youth-led organization.

Chiara Zampolli

Her name is Chiara Zampolli, a young Italian professional currently based in Brussels, Belgium, working as a Public Information Intern for UN Regional Information Centre. She graduated in September 2024 with a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy at City, University of London. She also held a Bachelor’s degree in Languages for International Trade. Chiara is fluent in three different languages, that are Italian, Spanish and English, and she is passionate about international relations and human rights.