Natalia Tsamalashvili is an applied researcher specializing in governance, security, and foreign policy across Africa and the Middle East, with a particular focus on the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region. She holds an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s in African Studies (EIMAS) from the University of Porto, University of Bayreuth, and Bordeaux Montaigne University, as well as a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Tbilisi State University. Natalia has research experience with the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies in Nairobi, Concordis International, and the Centre for African Studies at the University of Porto. Her academic research has focused on foreign counterterrorism interventions and security governance in Somalia, as well as Russia’s role and strategic interests in Sudan.