The EST’s Board is run by a team of ambitious and visionary students and young professionals of International Affairs.


President – 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.

Contact her via email: president@esthinktank.com or via LinkedIn.

Vice-President – Miguel Toscano

Miguel Toscano has a background in International Relations, having completed his bachelor’s degree in Portugal and later moved to Denmark to pursue his master’s degree. Since a young age he has engaged in different youth organizations, holding different leadership positions. Alongside that, his professional journey includes experiences in the fields of research, communication, project management and policy analysis. Among other roles, he is currently the Vice-President for Events of the EST.

He believes in the importance of discussing European affairs and EU policy, and has interest in topics such as Global Governance, Security and Defence, and Development Studies. Miguel is focused on strengthening collaboration with different organizations, delivering high quality events and bringing together different individuals to discuss important issues.

Contact him via email: vicepresident@esthinktank.com or via LinkedIn.

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 or via LinkedIn.

Director of Communications – Sofia Levorato

Sofia currently works as a project manager for national and international research projects at the University of Padua. She has gained experience in communications, having worked at the European Parliament and with NGOs in Brussels. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in European Studies from the University of Padua.

During her studies, she took part in several Erasmus exchanges, living in Portugal and Belgium. Sofia is a native Italian speaker and is fluent in English and Portuguese.

She is skilled in social research and communication for NGOs, with areas of interest including EU policies, innovation, gender equality, and art.

Contact her via email: communication@esthinktank.com or via LinkedIn.

Editor-in-Chief: Egor Smirnov

Egor is a 2nd-year PhD student at the University of Macerata in the “Quantitative Methods in Economics” program. He aspires to become a researcher of online misinformation or social media data analyst.

Throughout his career, he has developed a diverse set of skills and methods, stemming from his studies and work at four different European universities: Macerata (PhD), Potsdam (Double Master’s), Moscow (Double Master’s) & Saint Petersburg (Bachelor’s). Apart from that, he joined conferences in multiple prominent research centers in Germany, Italy, Greece, and Austria. Currently, he is also the Student Representative of Macerata in European Reform University Alliance.

Contact him via email: editorinchief@esthinktank.com or via LinkedIn.

Head of the International Office – Lucia Cortesi

Born and raised in Italy, Lucia has always been passionate about gender equality, human rights, and fostering international dialogue. Her academic journey, from a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to an MA in International Relations (European Affairs) at the University of Bologna, has focused on understanding social inequalities and European affairs.

Within EST, she first served as Ambassador to Italy, then as International Officer, and now leads a multicultural team of International Officers and Ambassadors, coordinating international activities and engagement.

Lucia has diplomatic experience through an internship at the Embassy of Italy in Budapest and is actively involved in women’s rights advocacy at UDI Bologna, combining theory and practice in her commitment to social justice and youth empowerment.

Contact her via email: head.international.office@esthinktank.com or via Linkedin.

Working Groups Coordinator – Agnese Porro

Agnese Porro is a Master’s student in Economic and Social Sciences at Bocconi University, following a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics and Management, graduated with honours. She has international academic experience through an Erasmus exchange at ESADE Business School in Barcelona.

Agnese has professional experience in research, consulting, and project management, having worked with institutions such as Euricse, Accenture Song, and the B-Migrants Project. Her interests focus on social impact, migration, sustainability, and gender equality. Alongside her academic path, she is actively involved in volunteering, student representation, and community-building initiatives at both local and international level.

Contact her via email: wgcoordinator@esthinktank.com or via LinkedIn.

Treasurer & Fundraising Head – Guglielmo Maria Barbetta

Guglielmo Maria Barbetta is a Master’s student in Security and International Relations at the University of Genoa. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences and two Master’s degrees in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Crisis Management. Alongside his academic career, he has gained professional experience as a Project Officer and Project Manager in national, European, and international projects, managing project design, coordination, monitoring, and donor reporting.

His work and research interests focus on international security, human mobility, humanitarian action, and resilience in fragile contexts. Guglielmo has also been actively involved in educational and policy-oriented initiatives, Erasmus+ projects, and youth-led research networks in Europe and Africa.

Contact him via email: treasury@esthinktank.com or via LinkedIn.

Head of the EU-MENA Observatory – Clarice Agostini

Clarice holds a Bachelor’s in Diplomacy from the University of Bologna and a Master’s in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Tübingen, where she focused on peacebuilding, migration policy, and EU–MENA relations.

She works at the intersection of international affairs and communications, with experience across diverse settings, including international organisations, NGOs, and non-profits. At the European Parliament, she supported institutional communication on EU policy issues, and she currently works at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), where she contributes to policy analysis and strategic outreach.

Contact her via email: observatoryeumena@esthinktank.com or via LinkedIn.

 
EST logo



The EST Logo was updated in December 2019 and designed by Mirjam Müller, a former EST Director of Communications 2018/2019.

 Board 2024-25:
  • President – Olivia Serra Calvo
  • Vice-Presidents – Annalisa Scaletta & Chrystaleni Tryfonos
  • Treasurer – Marten Wesebaum
  • Head of the International Office – Laura González Alonso
  • Editor-in-Chief: Anne Noël
  • Working Groups Coordinator – Oliwia Borek
  • Director of Communications – Siobhán Golden
  • Head of the EU-MENA Observatory – Luca Saviolo
Board 2023-2024:
  • President – Olivia Serra Calvo
  • Vice-President – Annalisa Scaletta
  • Treasurer – Lucas Volmich
  • Head of the International Office – Laura González Alonso
  • Editors-in-Chief – Sara Lolli, Tommaso Filippini & Carla Posch
  • Working Groups Coordinator – Celina Bester
  • Director of Communications – Najima Jafarli
Board 2022-23:
  • President – Pierfrancesco Maria Lanza
  • Vice-Presidents – Rosa Jorba & Tabea Boglin
  • Treasurer – Lorenzo Foglietti
  • Editors-in-Chief: Dyuti Pandya & Daemon Ortega
  • Deputy Editors-in-Chief: Annica Auer & Alba Medina Bousono
  • Working Groups Coordinator – Annalisa Scaletta
  • Director of Communications – Olivia Serra Calvo
  • Deputy Director of Communications – Bianca Volmich
  • International Officers – Paula Barredo, Alifia Afflatus, Deborah Conserva & Angela Cano Lloret

Board 2021-22:

  • President – Julia Blanken
  • Vice-Presidents – Pierfrancesco Maria Lanza & Diogo Nunes
  • Treasurer – Maxim Waal
  • Fundraising Officer: Rosa Lokenberg
  • Editors-in-Chief: Laura Sanzarello & Harvey Dryer
  • Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Alexandra ‘Lulu’ Smith
  • Director of Communication (Website Manager) – Olivia Serra Calvo
  • Director of Communication (Social Media) – Colin Hardage & Fotios Kotzakioulafis
  • Social Media Deputy Manager – Mădălina Ifrim
  • Head of the International Office – Ana Sofia Cabral
  • International Officers – Aparajeya Shanker, Shota Mshvenieradze, Adrian Kokk, Pauline Oleon, Rosa Jorba

Board 2020-21:

  • President – Marina Navarro Montilla
  • Vice-President for Partnerships – Julia Blanken
  • Vice-President for Events – Christos Tsagkaris
  • Treasurers – Erdal Ferer, Sofia Morch, Lea Siebel
  • Editors-in-Chief: Đăng Đạo Nguyễn, Luke Cavanaugh
  • Director of Communication (Website Director) – Zachary Egan
  • Director of Communication (Social Media) – Hande Yetkin
  • Working Group Coordinator – Oshin Behl
  • Head of the International Office – Pierfrancesco Maria Lanza
  • International Officers – Victor González Tapia, Carmen Murgu, Enrique Fernández

Board 2019-20:

  • President – Stefan Pfalzer
  • Secretary – Nieves Delgado
  • Treasurer – Erdal Ferer
  • International Officer – Marina Navarro
  • Editors-in-Chief: Christos Tsagkaris, Loyle Campbell
  • Director of Communication – Sofia Morch
  • Campaign and Events Manager – Elodie Arpa
  • External Relations – Yasmin De Fraiture

Board 2018-19:

  • President – Aurélien Pommier
  • Secretary – Nieves Delgado
  • Treasurer – Chaima Nbigui
  • International Officer – Stefan Pfalzer
  • Editor-in-Chief – Tawanda Munyuki
  • Director of Communication – Mirjam Muller

Board 2017-18:

  • Presidents – Angelique Truijens, Carlota Núñez Strutt
  • Secretary – Marlene Straub
  • Treasurer – Joris Heuker
  • International Officer – Aurélien Pommier
  • Editor-in-Chief – Cindy Langer
  • Director of Communication – Moïra Tourneur

Board 2016-17:

  • President – Carlota Núñez Strutt
  • Secretary – Jonne Kamphorst
  • Treasurer – Laurens Van der Sluijs
  • International Officer – Johannes Tropper
  • Editor-in-Chief – Tanith Lee
  • Events Manager – Cecilia Passaniti
  • Director of Communication – Jonas Fritz

Board 2015-16:

  • President – Kate Perdikis
  • Secretary – Sietse Blom
  • Treasurer – Swiss Juriens
  • International Officer – Rebecca Fobbe
  • Editor-in-Chief – Enrike van Wingerden
  • Events Manager – Tamira Vossen
  • Director of Communication – Carlota Núñez Strutt

Board 2014-15:

  • President – Marten Kooistra
  • Secretary – Rebecca Fobbe
  • Treasurer – Erik Merkus
  • International Officer – Etienne Verschuren
  • Editor-in-Chief – Dimitris M. Perdikoulis

Board 2013-14:

  • President – Remco Zwetsloot
  • Secretary – Rianne Keeler
  • Treasurer – Gina Plat / Leander van Splunter
  • International Officer – Samira Gonsalves
  • Editor-in-Chief – Katrien Volleman
  • Events Manager – Yanís Pelinski
  • PR Officer – Nicolas Castellon

Board 2012-13:

  • President – Sahar Nasiri
  • Secretary – Laurie Kemp
  • Treasurer – Nerijus Cerniauskas
  • International Officer – Jean-Baptiste Houdart
  • Editor-in-Chief – Karina Rinaldi-Doligez
  • Events Manager – Andreas Bonte / Frieder Kuehne
  • PR Officer – Maryama Warong
Our Founders

The European Stu­dent Think Tank was foun­ded by three stu­dents linked to the Uni­ver­sity of Ams­ter­dam and the Ams­ter­dam Uni­ver­sity Col­lege in The Netherlands.

  • Eline Böt­ger
    President (2010-2012), Co-Founder
  • Sari Nijssen
    Secretary, Vice-President (2010-2012), Co-Founder
  • Char­lotte Baarda
    Treasurer, Vice-President (2010-2012), Co-Founder