The WBC is at the forefront of addressing the critical challenges and opportunities facing the Western Balkans. We are an authoritative resource for policymakers, embassies, and international organizations engaged in the region. Our mission is clear:

Counter Foreign Malign Influence

Through expert-driven analysis and strategic recommendations, we work to limit destabilizing foreign actions in the Western Balkans.

Ensure Regional Stability

Our work directly contributes to minimizing risks of territorial fragmentation and violence.

Promote Integration

We are relentless in our pursuit of the Western Balkans’ full integration into Euro-Atlantic political and security structures.

Bridging Expertise and Policy

We act as the vital conduit between Western Balkans experts and decision-makers across key capitals. Through curated networks, high-level advisory panels, and targeted policy briefings, we ensure that informed expert perspectives directly influence policy decisions impacting the region.

Shaping the Western Balkans Agenda

Our forthcoming WBC website will serve as the central platform for disseminating critical analysis on geopolitical, security, and economic issues in the Western Balkans. We publish high-quality reports and host expert panels, driving policy discussions and shaping the debate in capitals around the world.

Dr. Azeem Ibrahim

Special Initiatives

Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, OBE, is the Senior Director of Special Initiatives at the New Lines Institute. He is also an Adjunct Research Professor at the Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, and a columnist at Foreign Policy magazine. He completed his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and served as an International Security Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and a World Fellow at Yale. Over the years he has met and advised numerous world leaders on policy development and was ranked as a Top 100 Global Thinker by the European Social Think Tank in 2010 and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Dr. Ibrahim is also the author of “The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar’s Hidden Genocide” (Hurst & OUP), “Radical Origins: Why We Are Losing The Battle Against Islamic Extremism” (Pegasus New York), and “Authoritarian Century: Omens of a Post-Liberal Future” (Hurst 2022). In 2019 he received the International Association of Genocide Scholars Engaged Scholar Award for his research on the Rohingya genocide and in 2022, Dr. Ibrahim was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, for his services to foreign policy.Read More

Emina Muzaferija

Projects Manager & Analyst

Emina Muzaferija is the Project Manager and analyst for the Western Balkans Center. In this role, she leads initiatives focused on advancing policy dialogue, fostering expert networks, and addressing strategic issues related to the region's Euro-Atlantic integration. Emina specializes in critical geopolitics, war ecology, territorial practices, and the Western Balkans and post-Yugoslav geopolitical space writ large. Emina is also a PhD candidate at Virginia Tech, where her research explores the territorial outcomes of demining in post-war Bosnia and wartime Ukraine. Emina has previously worked for the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) and the Embassy of Bosnia-Herzegovina in The Hague, Netherlands. She holds a BA in International Relations and European Studies from International Burch University (IBU) and West University of Timisoara, and MA in Conflict and Security from IBU and Erasmus University Rotterdam.Read More

Susanna Kelley

Analyst

Susanna Kelley is an Analyst and Projects Manager on the Special Initiatives Team at the New Lines Institute. In her work at the Western Balkans Center, she specializes in complex security challenges, policy advocacy, and conflict resolution. She brings firsthand experience in the Balkans, having attended the Kosovo Summer Academy, where she earned a certificate in peacebuilding in post-conflict zones. Her work there extended beyond Balkan geopolitics, EU accession pathways, and Kosovar parliamentary processes, encompassing regional security issues and policies for sustainable peacekeeping. Susanna holds an MSc in Global Crime, Security, and Justice from the University of Edinburgh Law School, where her research focused on the spread of violent right-wing extremism, the politicization of terrorism, and the resurgence of fascism. She also earned dual BAs in Economics and Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law from the University of Virginia. She has experience in big law, pro bono legal work, and policy advocacy, focusing on overlooked issues in security and governance.Read More

Tanya Domi

Senior Non-Resident Fellow

Tanya Domi is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at New Lines Institute, an Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and an affiliate faculty member of the Harriman Institute, where she has taught in the Balkan Studies program since 2008. Prior to her faculty appointment at Columbia, Domi served in the United States Army for 15 years and later worked as a congressional aide and military policy advisor to the late Congressman Frank McCloskey, a leading champion for U.S. intervention in the Bosnian War. She also worked internationally for more than a decade on issues related to democratic transitional development, including media development, human rights, and human trafficking. She has expanded her research to include genocide, conflict-related sexual violence, and prevention of atrocity crimes. Domi was seconded by the U.S. State Department to the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1996 where she served in various roles, including as spokesperson and counsel to former Ambassador Robert Frowick.Read More

Dr. Hikmet Karčić

Dr. Hikmet Karčić is Co-founder and Director of ISA and a Senior Researcher at the University of Sarajevo. He has conducted academic research in the field of genocide and Holocaust studies, violent extremism, and transitional justice. His works have been published by Haaretz, Newsweek, and Arab News.

Dr. Harun Karčić

Dr. Harun Karčić is Deputy Director for Analysis and Operations at ISA and a journalist and political analyst covering the Balkans. Over the past decade, he has authored numerous articles on geopolitics and religion, particularly Islam, in the post-communist Balkans. He also writes about the role played by foreign powers including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey, as well as China and Russia. He is a regular contributor to Haaretz, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, Defense Post, and RUSI, and he is a sought-after expert for numerous governments and risk assessment firms.Read More

Dr. Jasmin Mujanović

Dr. Jasmin Mujanović is a Political Scientist (Ph.D., York University) specializing in the politics of post-authoritarian and post-conflict democratization. He is the author of two books, Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans (Hurst Publishers & Oxford University Press, 2018), and The Bosniaks: Nationhood After Genocide (Hurst Publishers & Oxford University Press, 2023). His analyses have also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other leading global media. He has a prominent social media presence and makes regular appearances for international television and radio programs including numerous Balkan media outlets. Originally from Sarajevo, he is presently a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Western Balkans Center and Editor in Chief of the Western Balkans Observatory at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC.Read More

Kristiana Kuqi

Kristiana Kuqi is the External Affairs Advisor at New Lines Institute. She brings extensive experience in public policy, strategic communications, and legislative engagement. Kuqi played a pivotal role in founding the Congressional Burma Caucus, leading efforts to secure bipartisan support for U.S. engagement in Myanmar. Her leadership was instrumental in the passage of key legislation advancing democracy, human rights, and Accountability. She serves as a board member of the Campaign for a New Myanmar and the International Campaign for the Rohingya, where she works to amplify awareness and drive meaningful action on critical global human rights issues. She has collaborated with policymakers, advocacy leaders, and civil society organizations to bridge the gap between grassroots activism and legislative change. In addition to her advocacy work, Kuqi has experience in the tech and startup sectors, where she has led innovative strategies for business growth, communications, and stakeholder engagement.Read More