Dr. Ana Krstinovska is a leading China scholar and sinologist with over 16 years of experience in government, diplomacy, and international research networks. As the founder and driving force behind ESTIMA Insights, she sets the platform’s vision, ensures rigorous editorial standards, and produces incisive, evidence-based analysis. Educated and trained in North Macedonia, China, Belgium and the USA, she combines academic depth with high-level policy and business expertise, translating complex geopolitical realities into actionable intelligence.
Jovana Marović (PhD, Faculty of Political Science Belgrade) is a Former Deputy Prime Minister and European Affairs Minister of Montenegro. She also worked as advisor for the EU in the multilateral department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro (2004-2007), advisor for international relations and European integration in the Cabinet of the Mayor of Budva Municipality (2007-2008), research coordinator at the Institute Alternativa (think tank, 2010-2016), special advisor to the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare (2016), Executive Director of the Politikon Network (think tank, 2016-2021), and Vice President of the Civic Movement URA (2021-2022). Jovana has been a member of BiEPAG since 2015. Her areas of expertise are EU enlargement, Western Balkans, democracy, rule of law, anticorruption, regional cooperation, EU political system, citizenship and democratic deficit.
Dr. Anastas Vangeli is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business, and a member of the European Think Tank Network on China (ETNC). He is Associate Editor of Asia Europe Journal, co-editor of Yugoslavia and China: Histories, Legacies, Afterlives (Routledge, 2025), and leads research on Europe’s transition to electric vehicles. Educated across several countries, including China, Anastas brings an interdisciplinary and international perspective to his work. His research combines academic rigor with policy relevance, making him a leading analyst of global–regional linkages in EU–China relations.
Zlatko Simonovski is a seasoned researcher and former journalist specializing in international affairs, economics, and politics. His career spans NGOs in the UK and USA, academic roles at The New School in New York, and leadership at ESTIMA Insights, where he drives contributor engagement and produces timely analysis. With a commitment to turning expertise into actionable insight, Zlatko ensures the platform consistently delivers relevant, sharp, and policy-focused content.
Plamen Tonchev is Head of the Asia Unit at the Institute of International Economic Relations (IIER) in Greece, a position he has held since 1998. He has served as an external expert for the European Commission on numerous overseas missions and has published extensively on Europe–Asia relations in academic journals, books, and policy reports. A founding member of the European Think Tank Network on China (ETNC) and contributor to its annual reports, he is also a founding member of the Hellenic Association of Chinese Studies (HACS). Plamen regularly lectures at universities and think tanks across Europe and Asia, and is currently engaged in a project with the Institute of National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) in Taiwan.
Dr. Vuk Vuksanović is a senior researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) and an associate at LSE IDEAS, London School of Economics. He holds a PhD in international relations from the LSE, where his doctoral work was published as Serbia’s Balancing Act: Between Russia and the West (2025). His research focuses on great power politics in the Balkans, with a particular emphasis on China and Russia. Vuk is the author of numerous academic and policy publications and a frequent commentator for international media. His work on Sino-Serbian relations, including the widely cited report The Dragon Lands in Belgrade, is recognized as one of the most comprehensive studies of China’s role in the region.
Aleksandra Davitkovska-Spasovska is a researcher with expertise in European affairs and Europe–China relations, holding a Master’s degree from the College of Europe in Natolin. She specializes in analyzing China’s political, economic, and strategic impact on the Western Balkans, particularly in the context of EU accession and economic security. At ESTIMA, Aleksandra has led and contributed to numerous China-focused projects, combining rigorous academic analysis with practical policy insight.
Bledar Feta is a policy analyst and researcher with a focus on the geopolitical dynamics of the Western Balkans since 2011. He is the author of the CEPA report The Chinese Influence in Albania and co-author of China’s Influence on the Western Balkans’ EU Accession Process: Synergies and Obstacles. Currently a Research Fellow at ELIAMEP – the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, he brings recognized expertise in assessing external actors’ strategies and their implications for regional integration. Bledar’s work is widely cited for its analytical depth and its contribution to shaping an informed debate on China’s role in Southeast Europe.
Dr. Jens Bastian is a political economist with recognized expertise on China’s investment footprint in Southeast Europe, Turkey’s political economy, and German–Greek relations. He has held senior roles with the European Commission’s Task Force for Greece, the European Agency for Reconstruction, and Alpha Bank, alongside academic positions at Oxford University and the London School of Economics. A former Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and Senior Policy Advisor at ELIAMEP, he combines policy experience with in-depth regional analysis. Jens holds a PhD from the European University Institute in Florence.
Ida Manton is an internationally recognized negotiation expert with over 20 years of experience training diplomats, civil servants, military officers, and students across Europe and Central Asia. She specializes in international, multilateral, and political negotiations, with expertise in mediation, dialogue facilitation, and conflict resolution in transitional and post-conflict settings. She has designed and led advanced programs for the OSCE, EU, NATO, and leading diplomatic academies, blending research, field practice, and simulations to prepare future leaders for complex global challenges. Her current research focuses on Chinese diplomacy and its civilizational roots, reflecting her broader interest in philosophy, cross-cultural exchange, and the moral dimensions of global affairs.
Vladimir Shopov is a Visiting Fellow with the Asia Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). His work focuses on Central and South-East Europe within the European Union, as well as China’s growing engagement in Central, Eastern, and South-East Europe. He also researches EU politics and the dynamics of EU conditionality in the region.
Sinisa is a postdoctoral researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona whose work focuses on authoritarian regimes, party politics, and elite decision‑making. He earned his PhD from Emory University and has developed a strong specialization in Chinese leadership politics and institutional change. His research has appeared in top peer‑reviewed outlets and informs both academic and policy debates.
Srećko Latal is a prominent Bosnian-Herzegovinian journalist and political analyst who currently serves as a director at the Agency for Strategic, Political, and Economic Research and Analysis (Spire) and as an occasional author for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. With a career spanning from wartime reporting for the Associated Press to analyzing regional risks for the International Crisis Group, he is a widely respected voice on the fragile post-war governance of the Western Balkans. His extensive commentary frequently examines complex geopolitical rivalries in Southeastern Europe, focusing closely on how China's infrastructure financing and economic investments impact the region's stability and European integration.
Arta Haxhixhemajli is a Kosovo-based researcher. She finished her bachelor's at the University of Warsaw in International Relations and later continued her master's at the University of Pavia for World Politics and International Relations. Previously, Arta was a Non-Resident Researcher at the German Marshall of the United States. Arta has a strong interest in geopolitics, warfare studies, security dilemma, national security, and cybersecurity. Besides her native Albanian, she is fluent in English and French.
Dr. Li Yang is a China-focused political scientist and researcher at Ghent University working on the EU-funded ReConnect China project, where his research spans Chinese foreign policy, EU–China relations, economic security, and diplomacy in the Western Balkans. Drawing on extensive cross-border education—including distinction-level degrees from UCL and King's College London and professional experience in both the Chinese government and the EU Chamber of Commerce, he regularly publishes on Chinese political institutions and strategic narratives in top academic journals.
Dr. Urban Jakša is a researcher and analyst focusing on peace, conflict, and security in Southeastern and Eastern Europe, including China's role in the Western Balkans. He currently heads the European Union Training Initiative (EUTI), which trains staff at EU CSDP civilian crisis management missions. Urban previously worked for the UN, NATO, and OSCE on disarmament, anti-corruption, and election monitoring, respectively. He holds a PhD in Politics from the University of York and has held fellowships at Columbia University (Fulbright), UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), European Leadership Network (ELN), and International Republican Institute (IRI).
Maja Bjeloš is a policy researcher with more than 15 years of experience in designing and leading evidence-based research projects that inform public policy, governance reforms, and human rights initiatives in Serbia and across the Western Balkans. She has over 15 years of experience as a Senior Researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), and she has worked with both domestic and foreign governmental and non-governmental organisations on research and consulting projects. Her research interests include gender and security, security sector reform, foreign information manipulation and interference, cybersecurity, and the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, among other areas. She holds a degree in International Relations from the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, and specialised in cybersecurity at Cranfield University.