Zoran Nechev

Senior Research Fellow

Zoran works on EU enlargement, differentiated integration, democratic resilience, and external influences, with a focus on South-East Europe. In the RESILIO ACCESS project, he explores institutional reforms related to the rule of law to enhance resilience in candidate countries.

Education

Mar 2018 – Present
Institute for European Studies; Vrije Universiteit Brussel PhD candidate

May 2010 - June 2010
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Executive Education Diploma

Dec 2005 - Dec 2006
University of Catania; Centre of Excellence CERISDI Master of Science in Public Policy and International Business

Oct 2000 – Oct 2004
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University; Law Faculty, Political Science department Bachelor in Political Science

Experience

Jan 2025 – Present, Evropa misli / Think Europe, Policy and Advocacy Fellow, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Jun 2016 – Present, Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis Skopje (IDSCS), Associate Head of the Center for EU Integration / Senior Researcher, Skopje, North Macedonia

Jul 2017 – Mar 2025, Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), University of Graz/European Fund for the Balkans, Research Scholar, Remote

Apr 2021 – Dec 2024, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), Associate Fellow, Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies and Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, Berlin, Germany

Sep 2021 – Jun 2022, Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (IWM), Europe’s Futures Fellow, Vienna, Austria

Jan 2017 – Dec 2018, European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), Senior Associate Analyst, Paris, France

May 2014 – Apr 2017, ETH Zürich, Center for International and Comparative Studies (CIS), Academic Guest Scholar
Zürich, Switzerland

Sep 2011 – Feb 2015, Association for Development Initiatives – Zenith, Program Manager & Researcher, Skopje, North Macedonia

Mar 2014 – Dec 2014, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), TRAIN Program, Researcher
Belgrade, Berlin, Brussels

Mar 2013 – Mar 2014, The Clingendael Institute, Visiting Research Fellow, EU Enlargement, The Hague, Netherlands

Feb 2010 – Jul 2011, Institute for Parliamentary Democracy, Program Manager, Skopje, North Macedonia

Feb 2008 – Feb 2010, Secretariat for EU Affairs, Government of Macedonia, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Skopje, North Macedonia

2007 – 2008, National Albanian American Council, Hope Fellow, Skopje, Washington DC

Dec 2004 – Feb 2008, Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), Policy Analyst, Skopje, North Macedonia