Biography

Nona Mikhelidze is Head of Research at the Institute for International Affairs (IAI). She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and a Master’s degree in “Regionalism: Central Asia and Caucasus Studies” from Humboldt University in Berlin. Since 2020, she has been writing for La Stampa and Il Foglio, focusing on Eastern Europe and Russia. She is also a member of the European Leadership Network (ELN), an independent, non-partisan, and pan-European network of past, present, and future European leaders working to provide practical solutions to political and security problems. Her research interests include the EU and the Eastern neighborhood, as well as Russian foreign policy. She frequently appears as a commentator on Italian television and radio channels, discussing issues related to the Russian war against Ukraine. In 2023, she was awarded the Viareggio Prize as journalist of the year for her contribution to the public debate on the war.