Baku, Azerbaijan

The Centre for National and International Studies (CNIS) is a grant based non-governmental think-tank registered by the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan Republic in 2004.

The CNIS has since conducted research and activism projects with international partners such as the Centre for European Security Studies of the Netherlands (Starlink, devoted to reforms in the security sector), the Middle East Technical University of Turkey (Tubitak project on quality of life) the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (Elites and Transformation of the Azerbaijani Society) and numerous other research, advocacy and training initiatives. CNIS has also agreed to act as a focal point for other researchers and practitioners which are part of the Azerbaijan National Committee for European Integration (ANCEI) and who will be associated to the research through the CNIS. ANCEI is a civil society group aims to support further enhancement of Azerbaijan – EU relations within the scope of the European Neighbourhood Policy, develop recommendations for consideration of the government of Azerbaijan, participate in the monitoring of this co-operation and promote European values.

Main tasks

Researchers

Dr Leila Alieva CNIS, Director

Dr Leila Alieva is the director for the Center for National and International Studies (CNIS). She directed an independent Center for Strategic and International Studies in Baku (1995-1997), and founded CNIS (2004), held fellowships at Harvard University (1993-1994), UC Berkeley (2000), Woodrow Wilson Center -Kennan Institute- (1995) SAIS -Johns Hopkins University- (2001), NATO Defense College (NDC) in Rome, Italy and most recently at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington DC. She advised the President of EBRD, as well as leading oil companies, such as BP, UNOCAL, STATOIL, AIOC, served on the board of the Open Society Institute in Baku in 1998 and was a National Coordinator of the Human Development Report for UNDP (1997). She has published extensively on the issues of security, conflicts and politics in the region.