Nino Kalandadze

Nino Kalandadze

Nino Kalandadze (Georgian: ნინო კალანდაძე; born March 11, 1977) is a Georgian politician, lawyer, diplomat, and civil society leader. She co-founded and serves as the executive director of the Chavchavadze Center for European Studies and Civic Education, a think-tank and political foundation in Georgia.

Kalandadze has held several positions in Georgian politics and diplomacy. From 2008 to 2012, she served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, overseeing Georgia's diplomatic relations with 45 European countries. During this period, she was involved in shaping Georgia's response to issues related to its breakaway regions and participated in negotiations between Georgia and the European Union. Kalandadze was a Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2008, and from 2012 to 2013, she advised the President of Georgia.

Kalandadze's education includes studying law at the University of Mannheim in Germany and Tbilisi State University in Georgia. She also holds a master's degree in International Relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. After her time in government, Kalandadze transitioned to academia and civil society, serving as Dean and Associate Professor at Caucasus University.

In addition to her academic and governmental roles, Kalandadze is a member of the Georgian Bar Association and holds the diplomatic rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. She is fluent in Georgian, English, German, and Russian.

Education

Kalandadze studied law at the University of Mannheim's Faculty of Law in Germany and graduated from Tbilisi State University in 2002 with a diploma in law. She later obtained a Master's degree in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (2011–2013).

Career in government and politics

From 2004 to 2008, Kalandadze served as a Member of Parliament, holding the position of Deputy Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee. In this role, she was involved in coordinating legislative reforms in Georgian administrative law. She co-authored and introduced the draft Administrative Code of Georgia, and represented Georgia's parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe. Kalandadze also served as a member of both the High Council of Justice and the Georgian Pardoning Commission.

From 2008 to 2012, as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Kalandadze was responsible for overseeing bilateral relations with 45 European nations. During the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, she served as a liaison for the Georgian government in international negotiations and ceasefire discussions. Kalandadze was involved in the formulation and execution of Georgia's "Non-Recognition Policy" regarding the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. She also participated in the implementation of the "Steinmeier Plan," which aimed to address the status of these regions. Kalandadze led EU-Georgia talks in 2008, managed the Consular Department, oversaw internal and external communications, and acted as the Ministry's Parliamentary Secretary and official Spokesperson.

In 2012-2013, Kalandadze served as an Advisor to the President of Georgia, followed by a role as Parliamentary Secretary at the Administration of the President in 2013.She was a board member of the political council of United National Movement party (UNM) in the years 2016–2018 and also headed the Strategic Communication Committee of UNM.

Academia and civil society

Kalandadze began her career as a legal expert in administrative law, working with the German International Cooperation agency (GIZ) from 2001 to 2004. In academia, she served as an Assistant Professor at Caucasus University's School of Governance from 2012 to 2014. She later became the Academic Program Director from 2013 to 2014, and then Dean of Caucasus University from 2014 to 2023.

In 2018, Kalandadze co-founded the Chavchavadze Center for European Studies and Civic Education, where she serves as Executive Director. Under her leadership, the Center has initiated programs focused on intra-party democracy, civil society engagement, youth leadership, countering disinformation and promoting liberal values in Georgia.

Publications

Kalandadze has authored or co-authored several publications, including:

• The Time to Gather Stones – Overcoming Georgia's Two-party Divide (2023)
• Causes of the Intra-party Democracy Deficit in Georgia (co-author, 2022)
• Consequences of Deficit of Intra-party Democracy in Georgia (co-author, 2022)
• Liberalism and Georgia (co-author, 2020)
• Manual on the General Administrative Code of Georgia (co-author, 2005)

Kalandadze has also contributed to legislative reforms such as Georgia's General Administrative Code, anti-corruption legislation amendments, and anti-money laundering amendments.

Other activities

Kalandadze is a member of the Georgian Bar Association and has experience in consulting on public administration and anti-corruption reform. She has contributed as a trainer and lecturer for organizations such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, focusing on topics including intra-party democracy, political party functioning, foreign policy, and negotiation skills.

Honors and awards

Kalandadze has received several honors and awards, including:

• Order of Honors (Georgia)
• Presidential Order of Excellence (Georgia)
• Diplomatic Rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia
• Full Scholarship, Birklehof School (Germany)
• Scholarship, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (USA)