The 'New' Geopolitics in the Caucasus

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Thomas Kruessmann, LL.M. (King's College London) studied law, political science and Slavonic languages in Passau, Berlin, Hamburg and London. He is professor of criminal law at the Institute of Comparative and European Criminal Law at New Vision University, Tbilisi. Gvantsa Davitashvili (Ph.D. in International Relations, University of Basque Country, LL.M in South East European Law and European Integration, University of Graz) is a Professor at New Vision University in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she teaches Europeanization and European Integration courses. She worked for the protection, promotion and research of human rights at the Public Defender's Office of Georgia for more than 10 years. She is also an affiliated policy analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. Her research interests include European integration of the Eastern Partnership countries, external Europeanisation, democratization, and EU foreign policy. Ivanna Machitidze (MA in International Relations and European Studies, Central European University, Hungary and PhD Donetsk National University, Ukraine) is Associate Professor of International Relations at the Politics & Diplomacy School of New Vision University, Tbilisi, Georgia, and the Head of its International Relations BA Program. She is the Accreditation Expert of educational programs in the field of Political Science and International Relations. Her research interests include regionalism and democratization-related issues with a focus on Eastern Europe and Ukraine.