Our team

Linas Kojala is CEO of the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center and Associate Professor of Partnership at Vilnius University’s Institute of International Relations and Political Science (VU IIRPS). He is also a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Russian propaganda researcher. Moderator of the GSSC "Akiračiai" club. Producer, columnist and presenter of the project "Understanding Russia" (main platform - IQ magazine). Host of TV3 political current affairs programme.

A recognized expert and strategist in security and defense policy with 25 years of experience in various settings, including NATO. Non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and analyst at the Defense Analysis Center of the Lithuanian Military Academy.

Ensures the efficiency of the organisation's processes, contributes to the organisation of high-level political events and conferences, and the implementation of national and international projects.

Responsible for managing the institution’s financial processes, budget planning, revenue and expense accounting, preparation of reports, and calculation of taxes; also ensures the institution’s financial stability and contributes to strategic decision-making from a financial perspective.

Responsible for managing primary documents, registering business transactions, and monitoring settlements with suppliers and customers.

Juljan Jachovič has more than ten years of experience in the field of international development, implementing programmes in the Eastern European region. In 2023, he defended his doctoral dissertation on Belarusian identity at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University. His expertise lies in quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as in the political and social developments of countries in the European Eastern Neighbourhood.

Dr. Simona Merkinaitė is the Senior Area manager at the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center. She is responsible for development and implementation of focus areas, and expanding international partnerships. She has over ten years of experience managing international projects focused on research, education and civil engagement.

Dominykas Nedzinskas is a graduate of Vilnius University’s Institute of International Relations and Political Science, holding a bachelor’s degree in political science. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Eastern European and Russian Studies. With two and a half years of experience at the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center, he now works as a project manager, overseeing international project implementation, organizing high-level events and conferences.

A graduate of the Vilnius University’s Institute of International Relations and Political Science, holds a Masters degree in International Relations and Diplomacy. She has already accumulated two years of work experience at the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center. Currently, she works as a project manager, responsible for the implementation of international projects, organizing events and conferences related to project activities, and carrying out national projects.

Kornelija Dūdonytė is the Executive Assistant to the CEO of the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center. She graduated from Vilnius University with both a BA and an MA in the humanities. Kornelija has over four years of experience in the public sector, supporting management-level executives in organizational and administrative activities. Her responsibilities at the Centre include information management, oversight and coordination of administrative processes, and other tasks supporting the smooth organization of the executive’s activities.

Organizes and coordinates events and communications, and ensuring smooth execution.

Responsible for coordinating the institution's administrative processes, managing documentation, ensuring smooth office operations, maintaining communication with clients and suppliers, and providing support to colleagues in daily activities.

A student at Vilnius University’s Institute of International Relations and Political Science, working as a project assistant at the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center.

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University. Currently enrolled in the ARQUS joint Master’s programme “European Studies”. Works as a Project Assistant at the Geopolitics and Security Studies Centre.

William Alberque is an expert in international security and nuclear arms control with nearly 30 years of experience in the U.S. Government, NATO, and research institutions. He is a former Director of NATO’s Arms Control Centre and currently serves as a Senior Adjunct Fellow at the Pacific Forum.

Jonas Vytautas Žukas – former Chief of Defence of Lithuania (2014–2019), who served in national defence for more than several decades. He is one of the most renowned Lithuanian officers, with extensive knowledge in the fields of national and international security, defence policy, and military cooperation.

Tomas Janeliūnas has been a professor at the Vilnius Institute of International Relations and Political Science (TSPMI) since 2015. He defended his doctorate in the social sciences at Vilnius University in 2006.

Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarūnas is Lithuania’s Representative to the European Economic and Social Committee. A seasoned diplomat and international security expert, he brings over three decades of experience in foreign policy, NATO and EU affairs, hybrid threats, defense, and geopolitics. He has served as Lithuania’s Ambassador to the UK, Russia, and Sweden, and has held key positions in NATO and the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). He was also Lithuania’s Ambassador-at-Large for Hybrid Threats. Bajarūnas is a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), where he focuses on hybrid threat deterrence. He has played a significant role in shaping Lithuania’s foreign and security policy and has authored numerous publications on Russia’s foreign policy and Baltic-Nordic security.

Gintautas Mažeikis is one of the most prominent Lithuanian philosophers, a cultural theorist, anthropologist, and professor at Vytautas Magnus University. He is an expert in the GSSC Eurasian research direction, which examines Russian propaganda and other related topics.

Researcher and PhD student at the Institute of Political Science at the Justus Lybig University of Giessen, Germany, researching global governance and the resilience of states in the EU neighbourhood

Associate Professor of Asian Studies and International Politics at Vilnius University

Associate Expert of the China Research Program and PhD student at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University

Former Director of the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence, Head of the Lithuanian Special Mission in Afghanistan, Head of the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Director of Intelligence of the EU Military Staff, Director of the AOTD (Military Intelligence and Counterintelligence)

Henrik Larsen, PhD, is a Non-Resident Research Fellow with the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy (IPD), the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), and the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS).

Associate analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Vilnius Institute of Policy Analysis

Associate Expert at GSSC, where she studies China's domestic politics and foreign policy, with a focus on Sino-EU relations and its recent developments.

Saulius has experience in the energy sector working for the State Energy Regulatory Council. He is currently pursuing his career in a state-owned energy company as a strategic planning analyst. His main areas of interest are national security, energy and warfare.