Institute for Regional and International Studies

Former Staff

Administrative

Simona Vassileva

Position: Office Manager

Ekaterina Todorova

Position: Office Assistant

Tzvetelina Buncheva

Position: Office Assistant

Associates

Antonina Habova

Position: Program Director

Plamen Ralchev

Position: Senior Research Associate

Vladimir Shopov

Position: Senior Research Associate

Luba Kassova

Position: Program Director

Elena Triffonova

Position: Program Director

Ilina Konakchieva

Position: Project Coordinator

Tania Tisheva

Position: Project Coordinator

Gergana Vassileva

Position: Project Coordinator

Dimiter Ivanov

Position: Project Coordinator

Zdravko Batzarov

Position: Senior Associate

James Good

Position: Research Associate

Aneta Mihaylova

Position: Associate

Igor Valentovitch

Position: Associate

Dessislava Tzekova

Position: Associate

Alena Alexandrova

Position: Associate

Zora Popova

Position: Project Coordinator

Petar Petrov

Position: Associate

Assya Hristova

Position: Associate

Aleksandar Marinov

Position: Research Associate

Georgi Tzekov

Position: Program Director

The Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) is an independent, non-government think tank. IRIS was established on June 11, 1997 by leading Bulgarian public and political figures, NGO leaders and prominent Bulgarian scholars in international relations, Balkan studies, history, social and political science, anthropology and economics.

The Institute for Regional and International Studies initiates, develops and implements civic strategies for democratic politics on national, regional and international level. The Institute promotes the values of democracy, civil society, freedom and respect of law, assists the process of Bulgarian integration in NATO and the EU and provides public policy analyses on current domestic and international issues. IRIS represents a strategic combination of advocacy-oriented and education-oriented think tank.