Visiting Research Fellows

Dr. Yiannis Basssias has 30 years of experience in the international oil and gas exploration. From 2016 to 2020, he was the President & CEO of HHRM (Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management), the state company managing and supervising the oil & gas exploration and production projects in Greece. From 2012 to 2016, he advised several companies in EEZs of the Indian Ocean, Equatorial America and West Africa on geological and legal aspects of frontier hydrocarbon basins.

From 1997 to 2012, as president of Georex group, when he demerged the exploration assets from the service activities and established technical subsidiaries in France, United Kingdom, Tunisia and the Republic of Congo. Managed database projects on CIS reservoirs, data mergers for Total, PetroFina and Elf, seismic data transcription for Snpc and Esso. Between 1996 and 2000 he directed evaluation teams for the development of oil and gas interests in Texas and Colombia. Before joining the petroleum industry, Mr. Bassias had an academic career at the Free University of Berlin and was also Associate Professor in the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

 

Dr. Charles Ellinas has over 35-year experience in the oil & gas sector in senior management positions. Currently, he is CEO of e-CNHC, providing management and advisory services in the oil & gas and energy sectors in Cyprus and the SEE region. Prior to this, as CEO of KRETYK, he was responsible for implementing Cyprus’s strategy for the development of its hydrocarbons sector. Until 2012, he was a Director of Mott MacDonald for 25 years and the Managing Director of Mott MacDonald’s Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals business worldwide.


Charles has participated on several occasions at IENE conferences and Workshops and has contributed analysis on hydrocarbon issues related to the East Med. He is currently an external Senior Research Associate of IENE based in London.  

 

Mr. John M. Roberts is a senior partner with Methinks Ltd, a consultancy specializing in the inter-relationship between energy, economic development, and politics. He is also a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Global Energy Centre, Atlantic Council, Washington DC. He is currently researching European energy security issues, including the role of Turkey in European energy security, Russian gas deliveries to Europe, the development of new supply pipelines and interconnectors within Europe, and the energy security implications of gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Roberts is a respected energy analyst who has testified to UK parliamentary committees on Middle Eastern, Russian, Caspian, Turkish and Kurdish energy security issues. He has lectured widely on a variety of subjects, including the development of Arctic oil and gas, the impact of social and political unrest in the Middle East and boundary disputes in the Caspian Sea. His recent papers include Democracy in Turkey: Implications for Regional Energy Security (JNU, Delhi, March 2017); Olive trees hold up Southern Gas Corridor (Platts Energy Economist, April 2017); and Iranian Gas Export Prospects and Energy Security (FLAME, Amsterdam, May 2017).

Roberts has recently completed studies for the Atlantic Council on oil and gas in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on gas interconnectors in Europe, and on the development of Russia’s Turkish Stream pipeline and its impact on the development of the Southern Gas Corridor to connect the Caspian to Europe. Private consultancy work has included investigation of investment conditions in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme. He is currently preparing a study on the Russia-China-Turkmenistan gas triangle. 

His books include Caspian Pipelines (1996) and Visions & Mirages: The Middle East in a New Era (1995).

 

Since 2007, Dr. Platon Baltas is a partner in EUDITI Ltd. where he participates in energy efficiency projects, RES project development and hybrid systems. He received a B.Sc. in Physics from University of Athens in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University in 1987. In 1988, he joined the Center for RES in Greece where he served as manager and chief scientist of the Photovoltaics Department until 1988. At this position, he played a key role to the development of the Greek National Programme for Photovoltaics, to the development international collaborations and to the funding of Department activities. From 1998 to 2000, he worked as an independent consultant on photovoltaics and water production using RES. From 2000 till 2007, he worked for Germanos – Systems Sunlight S.A. as a business development manager for photovoltaic systems. At this position, he worked for the development of grid connected PV projects and new solar and hybrid photovoltaic products for the telecom market. In 2007, he joined the Enfinity Group as the general manager for Enfinity Hellas Holdings S.A. At this position he worked on the development of RES investment projects, energy storage projects and electrification of islands in developing countries. In 2016, he became the manager of energy storage activities of the Group.


Platon has a long association with IENE having participated in numerous conferences, workshops and working groups and has advised the Institute on several occasions on RES issues. He is currently an external Senior Research Associate of Institute based in Athens.

Dr. Evgenia Giannini is an Attorney at Law, Member of the Athens Bar Association since 1991 as well as a member of the Association des Juristes de Droit Public Compare (Paris) since 1990  and of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London). She graduated from the Law School of the University of Athens, concluded her traineeship at the Greek Council of the State (Supreme  Administrative Court of Greece) and conducted her postgraduate studies on Comparative Public Law of the EU states at the Paris I – Pantheon Sorbonne University.

She is an accredited arbitrator and mediator from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London) and the Harvard Negotiation Institute. She is also member of the board of IENE and SPEF.

  Dr Nikolaos Koukouzas holds a PhD in Industrial Mineralogy from the UK and has over 27 years of experience in industrial geology, energy technologies,   geomechanics, applied petrology and CO2 geological storage. Since 2003, he is the Director of Research at the Centre for Research & Technology   Hellas / Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute (CERTH/CPERI) and Scientific Responsible at over 55 EU research projects, with a team of   more than 40 scientists. Previously, he held positions as Policy Officer, Detached National Expert in the European Commission, Direction General for   Energy (DG ENER) (2020-2022), Coordinator of EU experts and Gulf countries experts on Carbon Capture and Storage for the EU-Gulf Countries Clean   Energy Network (2010- 2013) and, Scientific Officer, Detached National Expert in the European Commission, Direction General for Energy and   Transport (1999-2003). Furthermore, Dr Koukouzas has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Greek Institute for Geology and Mineral Exploration (IGME) and a Consultant to energy, construction and cement industries. 

 

He has over 300 publications in Scientific Journals, 3500 citations and is a member of various University Boards and Editorial Boards in International Magazines including the International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control.

 

 Dr. Panagiotis Chaviaropoulos is a Mechanical Engineer with a PhD degree (NTUA 1987). Co-founder and Managing Director of iWIND Renewables P.C. (www.iwind.gr), offering highly specialized technical services to the European and the domestic wind energy industry (2015-today). Director of the Renewable Energy Sources Division of CRES (1998-2014). Thirty-five years’ experience in RTD projects funded by the E.U., the European Industry and the Greek State. Detached as Head of the RES Office in the Ministry for Environment Energy and Climate Change (2010-2011).

Participation in more than 40 research programs (co-ordinator of six of them). Last thirty years working in the fields of horizontal axis wind turbines aeroelasticity and complex terrain wind field modelling. More than 150 Journal and peer reviewed conference publications, co-editor of two books on optimum aerodynamic design.

Member of the Greek delegation in the European Framework Programmes (FP5, FP6, FP7) Energy Committee (2000–2014). President of European Academy for Wind Energy www.eawe.eu (2006-2007). Vice-Chairman of the European Wind Energy Technology Platform www.windplatform.eu (2007-2012). EAWE Scientific Award 2010. Aiolos Award 2013 (Greek Wind Energy Association).

 

Dr. Marika Karagianni is a law graduated and political scientist with expertise in European and international energy issues. She has studied at the Law School of the ECIA, the College of Europe (Bruges), the European Political and Administrative Department, and the Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Black Sea Countries. She has been trained by scholarships at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry (2002) and at the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Academy (2011) on the Caspian Energy Sector at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2014) on International Energy Security and NATO School of Oberammergau (2014) on energy security and supply to NATO in times of war or crisis. Since 2006, she is a permanent expert at the Ministry of Public Order - Citizen Protection. She regularly reports to the Greek and European energy press and travels to the Caspian and Middle East regions.
Marika has a long association with IENE having participated in several conferences, workshops and working groups and has contributed research and analysis published by IENE. She has advised the Institute on various occasions on energy policy and geopolitics issues. She is currently a Senior Research Associate based in Athens.

 Dr. Thrassy N.  MARKETOS is Law School of Athens State University (Greece), Aix-Marseille III University (France) International Law MSc graduated and ‘Panteion’ University (Greece) International Relations doctor. He worked for the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and actually is a Eurasia Energy Geostrategy Analyst. He serves as a Scientific Researcher/Eurasia Energy Geopolitics Visiting Professor at M.Sc. ‘Economy, Defense, Security’, Economic Sciences Department, School of Economics and Technology, in the University of Peloponnese (Tripolis, Greece). He is a Eurasia Energy Geopolitics Lecturer/Research Associate in the ‘Institute for Continuous Education’ (IDE/Hellenic Ministry of Defense (Athens, Greece), a ‘South East Europe Energy Institute’ (IENE, Athens, Greece) Research Fellow and Advisory Board 'Geopolitics-Energy' Member, and Analyst in the 'Euro-Mediterranean Security and Cooperation Observatory' (euromedsec.gr).

Publications: ‘Russian Federation Geopolitics in Post-Soviet Central Asia’, (Syllogos Pros Diadosin Ofelimon Vivlion, 2008), ‘China’s Energy Geopolitics: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Central Asia’, (Rutledge, 2009), ‘Energy Geopolitics Crossovers in Central & Eastern Mediterranean at the Prize of the Energy Union Policy’ in ‘Aspects of the Energy Union’ (Palgrave/Macmillan, 2021), as well as several papers on Eurasia Energy Geopolitics.

 

 Prof. Vesna Borozan received her PhD in 1996 from University of Belgrade. She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at North Carolina State University in 1997, Visiting Professor at Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile in 1999 and Honorary Professor at Vienna University of Technology in 2010 - 2012. Prof. Borozan was MP during the mandate period 2002 - 2006 and Amabassador to Austria from 2006 to 2010.

Presently she is a Professor in Power Systems at the Uni­versity "Sts. Cyril and Methodi­us", Faculty of Electri­cal En­gineering and Information Technologies, Skopje.

Beside her scientific achievements and publications, Prof. Borozan has been involved in many projects related primarily to electricity markets and regulation in SEE. She was an important contributor to the initial restructuring of the energy sector in her home country. Recently, continuing her contribution to the Regional Electricity Market issues, she was a member of the ad-hoc Energy Community HLRG and MC/PX WG.

 

Mr. Mihailo Mihailovic has over 35 years of extensive professional and business experience in the Power Industry. He has resourceful knowledge in the sector and extensive experience covering national electricity system dispatching, short and long term operation planning and long term corporate strategic planning. As an evaluator of new energy concepts or technologies he was involved in the energy strategy development and market projections, along with policy related activities both at national and regional levels. Authored or co-authored many papers and presentations for international conferences (PowerGen, Renewable Energy World, DEMSEE, European Green Day, Energetika, Foren etc.).Mihailo Mihailovic is a graduate and holder of M.Sc. Degree in Power Engineering from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade.

Michailo has a long association with IENE having participated in numerous conferences, workshops and working groups and has advised the Institute on SE European energy policy issues. He is currently an external Senior Research Associate of Institute on based in Belgrade. Michailo is also IENE’s representative in Serbia.

 

Mr. Aleksandar Mijuskovic, is electrical engineer. Since May 2019 he is Advisor to Executive Director of a Coordinated Auction Office in South East Europe (SEE CAO).

He was Executive Director of SEE CAO (2014 – 2019) as  a logical sequel of his important role on various positions from Chairman of SEE CAO Project Team Steering Committee to Executive Director (2012 - 2014) of the Project Team Company in Charge of Establishing a Coordinated Auction Office in SEE.

Prior to SEE CAO, he was working for Montenegrin TSO (CGES) since 1995, and last position he was covering was the Director of Department for Regulatory, Legal, Personnel and International Affairs. While working in National Dispatcher Centre for many years, he gained valuable experience in running the system in difficult condition of poor connectivity with the neighbouring transmission systems.

He was a member of SEETSO TF (SEE Transmission System Operator Task Force) which was in charge of developing methodologies for transits, congestions and establishing balancing market since 2003 until SEETSO TF transforming in ENTSO-E.  He was a member of ENTSO-E Market Committee and ENTSO-E Regional Group South East Europe.

He was one of initiators of project for undersea cable interconnection between Montenegro and Italy, and member of Montenegrin team for negotiations with TERNA (Italian TSO).

As a member of Montenegrin Delegation he took part in three meetings of the plenary subcommittee and sector meeting of the enhanced permanent dialogue between European Commission and Montenegro on transport, energy, environmental and regional policy. He participated in all Athens Forums since 2003.

As an associate member of Institute of Energy for South East Europe (IENE) he speaks in SEE Energy Dialogues since 2007.

He has very good cooperation with power systems organizations and companies from the region, as well as with the international financial institutions.

He participated as a speaker in numerous workshops, seminars and conferences all around Europe.

 

Mr. Shkelqim Bozgo is currently Managing Partner at SEA Consulting in Tirana, Albania. Shkelqim has studied Petroleum Engineering in l’Institute Algerien du Petrole and holds aMaster in Bussines Administration from the University of Tirana and Lincoln, Nebraska.

Experience

• Senior Executive with long experience managing large and medium size commercial, public and non for profit projects and organizations. Country Manager for Albania of the mega project Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) 2013-2017.

• Co-author of the Final Joint Opinion, the joint project of the Greek, Italian and Albanian energy regulators for awarding the third party access exemption to TAP.

• Author of several regulatory acts for the Albanian natural gas sector and familiarity with the energy and natural gas sector in the Energy Community. President of the Energy Community Regulatory Board (March 2012 – November 2013).

• Rich experience in the area of stakeholder management, sustainable development, poverty reduction, renewable and energy efficiency projects. Shkelqim lead CAFOD Albania (9years) and the Albania EU Energy Efficiency Centre (2 years).

 

Mr. Gokhan Yardim is a chemical engineer. During his university education, he was awarded with the CENTO scholarship (the Central Treaty Organization, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Pact). In 1979, he started working as an operation engineer in the Maltepe Town Gas Factory of the Electricity, Gas and Autobus Authority of Ankara (EGO). He was awarded with the OECD (http://www.oecd.org/) grant in 1982 onsite training on natural gas (marketing,sale, distribution, storage and transmission) in the British Gas Corporation in Britain. After his return, he left EGO in 1983 and started working as an engineer in the General Directorate of BOTAS. (http://www.botas.gov.tr/). He worked as a chief engineer, director, coordinator, department chief, GENERAL MANAGER and CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD in BOTAS from 1983 to 2001. During his employment with BOTAS, he took part in every type of natural gas related projects, starting from the preliminary studies for importing natural gas. In addition to natural gas purchase, He was also involved in the marketing and sale of natural gas.  He took part in the drafting and signing of the intergovernmental and main contractor agreements regarding the BTC (Baku, Tbilisi, Ceyhan) Crude Oil Pipeline.

 He retired in 2005, and started providing consultancy services to foreign and local companies through his consultancy firm ADG, Anadolu Natural Gas Trade and Consultancy Ltd. (www.adgltd.com.tr)  In January, 2011, he was appointed as the general manager of Angoragaz Gaz Ticaret Sirketi. Angoragaz is a wholesale company holding a spot LNG import license, and has been operating as a player in the Turkish natural gas market. It purchases natural gas from other wholesale companies and importers and sells it to distribution companies and industrial companies. He managed on 50.6 MW Wind Energy Project and 26 mW was put into operation in May this year in Turkerler Group. For the past 3 years, He's been elected as the Board Member of PETFORM (the Petroleum Platform Association) Since 2008, he's been an honorable member of IENE (the Institute of Energy of South East Europe, www.iene.gr) headquartered in Greece. He's participated in many conferences and made presentations in Turkey and abroad.

 

Since May 2017 Dr. Yurdakul Yiğitgüden serves as an international energy consultant based in Turkey.

From February 2013 until April 2017 Dr. Yurdakul Yiğitgüden was the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities in Vienna. He promoted OSCE activities in the areas of good governance, transport and trade facilitation, labour migration, energy security, trans-boundary water cooperation, climate change, disaster risk reduction and hazardous waste management.

From 2003-2012 Yiğitgüden was a consultant on energy economics, energy efficiency, renewable energy and caspian geopolitics. He was also non-executive board member of the steel pipe manufacturer BMB (2007-2013) and the renewable electricity producer BorusanEnBW (2008-2012) in Istanbul.

Yiğitgüden served from 1997-2003 as the Under-Secretary of the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, responsible for energy, water and mining policy. He took a leadership role in Caspian region energy diplomacy and in implementing energy market reforms.

From 1995-1997 he held the position of CEO of Fenis Holding in Istanbul. Prior to that, he served as Chairman and Director General of the State Airports and Air Traffic Authority (1992-94), as Deputy Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (1991-92), as Vice-President of the mining, chemicals and banking Group Etibank (1989-91) and as Group Manager for Investment Promotion at the Turkish State Planning Organization (1987-89).

 

Ms. Eugenia Gusilov is the director and founder of ROEC. A Fulbright alumna and a graduate of Columbia University, New York (USA), she has a Master of International Affairs with a concentration in International Energy Management and Policy and a Certificate from the Harriman Institute with a thesis analyzing the Russian Production Sharing Agreements. Her work experience includes political analysis, energy consulting, academic and business research, and business strategy. Her areas of expertise cover: strategic and commercial analysis of energy markets, oil and gas policies, and energy economics.

Eugenia leads and represents the center, forges partnerships and maintains relationships with all relevant stakeholders. Responsible for planning, coordination and effective implementation of ROEC projects and events, she oversees and enforces QC for all ROEC analytical work. She charts the course for organization development and chooses the strategies used to achieve that vision. As a fellow energy analyst, she carries out research and analysis work, and contributes to all ongoing projects.

Fadil Ismajli is the CEO of New Kosovo Energy Corporation monitoring construction of 500MW coal fired PP.  During 2015-2016 he worked with USAID as Executive Director of cross-border transmission project CASA-1000 (1300km AC/DC facility linking Central/South Asia). 

In 2013 I have been appointed as Minister of Economic Development. During 2006-2013, CEO of KOSTT. 2005, led unbundling of KEK - established Kosovo Electricity Transmission, System and Market Operator(KOSTT J.S.C.). 2003-2005, worked in private sector. 2001 Chairman of KEK. I commenced my career in Kosovo Energy Corporation(KEK) in 1999.  Active participation in main regional and EU energy bodies. During the 90s, managed numerous projects in the private sector, both IT and energy.  Graduated Economics - University of Prishtina, attended post-graduate studies in Economic Analyses with University of Zagreb, took numerous professional courses in Croatia, Switzerland, Germany, USA etc. Published a number of papers in the sphere of energy, economics and information technology

EVENTS Decarbonization Policies in South East Europe – between climate change and war Webinar IENE: Energy Security in SE Europe and the East Mediterranean 27th Annual National Energy and Development Conference IENE Workshop: Prospects for the Implementation of CCUS Technologies  in Greece and SE Europe

ADVISORY SERVICES Green Bonds

PUBLICATIONS The Greek Energy Sector 2023 South East Europe Energy Outlook 2021/2022 Long-Term Gas Contracting Terms, definitions, pricing - Therory and practice More

COOPERATING ORGANISATIONS IEA Energy Institute Energy Community Eurelectric Eurogas Energy Management Institute BBSPA AERS ROEC BPIE