Demna has three years of professional working experience in the nonprofit sector and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Jurisprudence from Georgian Technical University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Ilia State University in Georgia. He was granted a scholarship from the European Commission and studied at Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, as an exchange master student of social sciences. While working as a legal officer under the migration program for the United Nations Association of Georgia, he supported asylum seekers, refugees, and other individuals of concern with administrative and legal issues. Previously, Demna worked with a community-based organization to promote access to education for ethnic minority youths in Georgia. As a civil servant, Demna worked with state agencies for number of years and was closely involved in institutional reforms in Georgia. He also conducted research on civil service and pension reforms in Georgia that attracted a lot of media attention. Through these experiences, he has developed strong analytical, project coordination, and implementation skills. Demna enjoys focusing on the topics of migration, personal data protection, public administration, and youth engagement, and he has a strong passion for analytical work.

Host Organization: National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry

Role at Host Organization: Demna’s responsibilities include monitoring legislation, researching and reporting on regional developments, producing publications, maintaining a web site, attending hearings and briefings, organizing and staffing events, and general administrative duties.