Over the years, SeeD has grown with the support, insight, and contributions of a diverse group of experts, specialists, associates, and fellows. Some have played a significant role in shaping our work at key moments, while others continue to collaborate with us in various capacities—sometimes as advisors, sometimes as partners, and sometimes wearing entirely different hats. We are grateful for the knowledge, commitment, and perspectives they have brought—and continue to bring—to our work.
Professor Dr. Ahmet Sozen is among the founding fathers of SeeD and contributed substantively to the design of the SCORE Index, from which our evidence-based policy design methodology evolved and grew. Dr. Sozen worked with SeeD under different capacities from Research Director to Policy Advisor, and continues to support our efforts and projects in Cyprus. He participated in the Cyprus peace-negotiations, and has been active in track II peace and democratization initiatives. He has provided training in conflict resolution, mediation and peacebuilding and has designed policy recommendations based on participatory research. He is a Professor of International Relations at the Eastern Mediterranean University, Director of the Cyprus Policy Center, and a member of the Greek-Turkish Forum.
Assoc. Prof. Giorgos Kentas, worked as a Senior Researcher Security Dialogue Initiative in Cyprus and is one of SeeD’s Cyprus policy advisors and liaison with European institutions in Brussels. He is an Associate Professor of International Politics and Governance at the University of Nicosia and Director of a Graduate Program in Public Administration. He served as a member of the EU Consent and FONET, two research groups funded by the European Commission, and he also worked with the European Council on Foreign Relations on EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy.
Jeannine Suurmond worked as peacebuilding advisor for GIZ in Nepal from 2011 to 2016, and as part of this assignment she implemented the SCORE Index in Nepal in 2015. Jeannine. She helped SeeD design new applications, indicators and helped develop the theoretical foundations of our methodology, while strengthening institutional learning and practice. Jeannine provides trainings on healing, mediation, and reconciliation to various organizations including the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO), and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Cambodia.
Dr Nicolas Jarraud helped to design the original SCORE Index and led the process to implement the index in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014. Dr Jarraud continues to support evidence-based peacebuilding efforts globally. He has an extensive experience in supporting peacebuilding programmes worldwide with the United Nation. Nicolas advises SeeD on environmental fragility issues relating to conflict and good governance. He is the Assistant Vice President of the Cyprus Institute.
Oksana Lemishka joined SeeD in 2017 and transitioned into Ukraine Programme Lead position in 2018 - 2020 as the country programmes expanded. Oksana oversaw all SeeD projects and efforts in Ukraine and supervised the country team in close cooperation with the USAID and the UNDP Recovery and Peacebuilding programme. She was responsible for building alliances, enhancing the evidence-base and policy uptake among stakeholders and managing outreach efforts.
Dmytro Mohyla has a PhD in law from Odesa Law Academy and a master's degree in economics from the V.I. Vernadsky Taurida National University. During the last several years, he worked in different international humanitarian organizations as a project manager and advocacy officer, honing expertise in developing and implementing advocacy projects. His current interests include project and program management, partner collaboration, and fundraising campaigns. He assumes that a team activity can bring better results to compare with one actor's actions. Building strong relationships brings long-term results. Providing research in such a sensitive domain as building sustainable peace should include these aspects.
Dr. Kateryna Ivashchenko-Stadnik is a multidisciplinary researcher with degrees in History (Donetsk State University), Sociology (Central European University, Prague and Warsaw) and International Development (University of London). She joined SeeD in 2020 as Project Coordinator and Researcher, focusing on SeeD's research in Azov Sea Area. Between 2022 - 2023, Katya served as the Country Team Lead for SeeD's Ukraine portfolio. Before joining SeeD she was a Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of Sociology (Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences) and the Ukrainian team lead and country expert within a number of international research projects. In the 2000s she worked as a Social Policy Advisor in UNDP, Ukraine. As a parallel professional track, Kateryna has also spent several years in film production and distribution (Arthouse Traffic, SOTA Cinema Group) and was a magazine editor (The Ukrainian: Life and Culture). She is an alumna of the Aspen Institute Kyiv (Responsible Leadership Program).
Dr. Orestis Panayiotou holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Kent, where he focused on the cognitive and motivational underpinnings of envisioning positive social change. Throughout his academic studies Orestis has been involved in a number of research projects focusing on social identity processes and their role in civic engagement. Before joining SeeD he worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Polish Academy of Sciences investigating political polarisation in Europe. His interest in applied social research has led him to join the SeeD family as a data analyst.
Tornike Zurabashvili is a Tbilisi-based researcher with an in-depth understanding of political, economic and security developments in Georgia and the wider Black Sea region. At various times, he has contributed his research to leading think tanks, civil society organisations and online outlets, both in Georgia and abroad. Tornike also possesses extensive experience of developing, managing, and implementing multi-component democracy assistance programs in Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Tbilisi State University (International Affairs), and master’s degrees from Ilia State University (Public Administration) and Trinity College Dublin (Political Science). He is currently pursuing a PhD in Political Science at Tbilisi State University.
Nadiia Novosolova completed her Master’s degree in Sociology at Lund University, Sweden. Before joining SeeD she worked in international NGOs in Sweden and Ukraine where she assisted with research activities, event coordination and internal policy development. Her academic and professional with over 25background encompasses women’s political participation, civil society and international development. Nadiia first joined SeeD as Ukraine programme assistant, and in 2021 became a junior researcher supporting multiple research processes and training with the methods team at the HQ in Nicosia.