Teona Lavrelashvili

Research Associate

Dr. Teona Lavrelashvili is a policy professional specializing in EU affairs, with a decade of experience across EU institutions, academia, and think tanks, including roles at the European Commission’s DG NEAR, the European Parliament, KU Leuven, and the European Policy Centre.

She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from KU Leuven, where she managed an academic project –  the European Party Monitor and defended her dissertation in 2022 on the role of European political parties in the EU enlargement process. Teona continues her academic engagement as an associate professor, delivering lectures at Sciences Po Strasbourg and other universities. Her research focuses on EU relations with the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries, as well as institutional structures and party politics.

Actively involved in civic life, Teona holds several leadership roles. She serves as the president of the College of Europe Alumni Association. She has also initiated and managed numerous projects, notably ‘How Does the EU Work,’ which has educated over 400 emerging leaders and civil society participants in Brussels. In 2024, she ran as a candidate in the Belgian Federal Parliament elections.

She is fluent in Georgian, English, and French, and has a good command of Russian and Spanish.