Head of Department

Elizaveta Barabanova

Elizaveta holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Saint Petersburg State University and a Master’s degree in Global Politics and Society from the University of Milan. Her main fields of expertise are international conflict management and applied policy analysis, with research experience for organizations such as UNOOSA and UNODC. She also has substantial experience in planning and coordinating international academic and policy events through her work at SDA Bocconi.

Within the European Student Think Tank, she previously served as Head of the Security & Defense Working Group, overseeing strategic initiatives such as the workshop on conflict narratives during the European Youth Event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She currently serves as President of the EST, where she has supervised key milestones, including the Interactive Simulation on Human Trafficking in Conflict Contexts at the UN Headquarters in Vienna, the EST’s accession as a founding member of the Europe Civil Society Regional Network for the implementation of the UNTOC, and the organisation’s selection as a grantee of the Building for the Future Initiative by OTT. Her leadership focuses on strengthening partnerships, expanding research, scaling flagship events, and enhancing internal governance.

Vice president

Konstantina Manoli

Konstantina is a Greek student of Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpreting at the Ionian University, with Erasmus+ experience at the University Paul Valéry Montpellier III. Fluent in Greek, English, French, Italian, and Spanish, she loves connecting cultures through language. Passionate about gender equality, policy migration, human rights and security, and European governance, she aims to make a tangible difference in the world.

Her professional experience includes an internship at the Embassy of Greece in Paris, and she actively contributes to the European Student Think Tank as Vice President for Partnerships, co-leading initiatives the workshop “The Power of Scriptwriting: Raising Awareness of Conflict Narratives” at the European Youth Event in Strasbourg and the Interactive Simulation on Human Trafficking in Conflict Contexts at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna, while actively contributing to EST’s research output and strategic development.

Contact her via email: vicepresident-partnerships@esthinktank.com

Partnerships & Fundraising Officers

Valentin Masclet – Partnerships Officer – Institutional and Multilateral Organisations

Valentin recently graduated with a Master’s in Management and International Trade at Sorbonne University. His master’s thesis focused on the difficulty of sanctioning the russian economy following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

He has experience as a Trade advisor in Germany, Project Manager in Transformation, and is now working as a Project Officer coordinating economic development initiatives with a social purpose in Madagascar.

He is exploring various organizational structures to better understand their limitations and determine the most effective way to lead projects with a positive societal impact.

Irfan Bitic – Partnership Officer

Irfan is currently enrolled at his last year at the bachelor program in Peace and development studies and besides that he is doing a double degree in Business & Administration. Irfan has a wide experience in different civil society organizations in Sweden such as the United Nations associations and the Swedish Association of International Affairs.

At the moment he is doing an internship at the Swedish embassy in Albania. Irfan is mixed Swedish-Serbian and speaks fluent English, Serbian and Swedish.

Alba Córcoles Iborra – Media, Think Tanks & Student Networks

Alba Córcoles is a master’s student of European Studies at KU Leuven, Belgium, specializing in the External Relations of the European Union. She graduated from her bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Journalism and started focusing her career path towards foreign affairs and communication.

She has performed intern roles such as foreign policy analyst at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and journalist collaborator at The Diplomat in Spain. Alba shows special interest in geopolitics, international cooperation & development, and media relations. She aims to engage in strong and sustainable networks that strengthen EST’s outreach and positive impact.

Alessia Caratelli – Partnerships Officer (NGO & Civil Society)

Alessia is currently enrolled in a Master’s degree program in European Studies at the University of Amsterdam. For the past two years, she has worked at the Goethe-Institut in Brussels as a Grant Officer for the Culture Moves Europe project, a mobility scheme for artists and cultural professionals, funded by the European Union.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages and Literature, specializing in French and German. Her interests revolve around culture, migration and environmental policies in the EU. She is currently researching postcolonialism, European integration and EU external relations.

Eugenia Piazza – Academia and Research

Eugenia Piazza is a funding professional and Partnerships Officer for Academia and Research at the European Student Think Tank. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with honours in Classics, as well as an MSc in Fundraising from the University of Bologna. She has served as a visiting researcher at the University of Heidelberg and as a speaker at international conferences in Europe and the United States, alongside a solid background in cultural institutions.

Her work navigating academic funding challenges has shaped a strong bridge-building mindset and a commitment to youth empowerment, equitable research, and European values.
She works as a Fundraiser supporting strategic partnerships and major gifts, and as an EU Project Manager designing projects funded by the European Commission.

At EST, Eugenia aspires to foster cross-border collaboration and lasting partnerships between youth, academia, and European institutions

Giovanni Gereschi – Partnerships Officer for Institutions & Multilateral Organisations

Giovanni is a Master’s student in International Relations (European Affairs) at the University of Bologna and a visiting graduate student at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe. His interests lie in foreign and security policy, including diplomacy, defence, and trade, with a particular focus on Europe and the European Union.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, International and Economic Studies from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and spent a year-long Erasmus exchange at the University of Tübingen, Germany. He speaks five languages at varying proficiencies: Italian, English, Spanish, German, and French.