Affiliated experts

<h1><img class="size-medium wp-image-9380 alignleft" style="font-size: 16px;" src="https://quartet.ro/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1597622405559-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Cristian Ghingheș</h1> <h2>Program Director, <em>Green,</em> <em>Environment, and Mobility</em></h2> Cristian spearheads our initiatives within the Green, Environment, and Mobility Policy Cluster while actively contributing to our strategic planning efforts. With an extensive professional background in public policy spanning both national and local contexts, Cristian currently holds the position of Deputy Mayor in Bacău, the 14th largest city in Romania with a population of 136,087, a role he assumed in October 2020. His dedication to public service is further evident through his longstanding tenure as an independent member of the Municipal Council since 2016. Before assuming his current role, Cristian served as a Project Coordinator at the Romanian Academic Society, where he played a pivotal role in leading critical programs addressing local and national policy issues. His expertise lies in areas such as urban mobility, public administration, and fostering civic participation. Cristian earned his Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and pursued a Master's in Organizational Management at the Nicolae Titulescu University of Bucharest.

<h1><img class="size-medium wp-image-205 alignleft" src="https://quartet.ro/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/profil_farauanu-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />George Farauanu</h1> <h2>Program Director, Digital and Innovation</h2> George is one of the co-founders of the Institute and oversees our Digital and Innovation Policy Cluster. Serving as a steadfast member of the Directory Board, George actively contributes to our strategic planning, embodying a commitment to excellence. George's entrepreneurial journey began with the co-founding of Confidas, a fin-tech startup committed to facilitating business-to-business due diligence for Romanian entrepreneurs. Securing an investment exceeding 130,000 euros from various supporters underscored George's ability to garner meaningful backing for innovative ventures. Currently, George directs the business development division at Cornerstone Technologies, a provider of software solutions within the legal industry. His leadership significantly contributes to the company's success and market positioning. In the academic realm, George's foundation is in law, having earned his LL.B from Ovidiu University in Constanța. Currently pursuing an LL.M in business law at the University of Bucharest, George is dedicated to continuous professional development. He holds accreditation as an expert in public acquisitions and project management of European funds. George's career intertwines legal expertise with a nuanced understanding of business dynamics. His multifaceted skill set and strategic approach make him an asset to both the Institute and the broader professional community. George exemplifies the convergence of legal proficiency and a measured entrepreneurial spirit, reflecting success in today's dynamic business landscape.

<img class="alignleft wp-image-203 size-medium" src="https://quartet.ro/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/1620843859057-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> <h1>Alexandru Bajdechi</h1> <h2>Policy Cluster Coordinator, <em>Good Governance & Rule of Law</em></h2> Alexandru is an <em>attorney-at-law</em> in the Bucharest Bar, with full rights. He is also a co-founder of the Institute and leads our Good Governance & Rule of Law Policy Cluster. He is a standing member of the Directory Board of the Institute and contributes to our strategic planning. He studied law at the University of Bucharest, where he received his LL.B and an LL.M in public acquisitions, concessions, and public-private partnerships. Currently, he is a doctoral researcher at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (<em>Academia de Studii Economice</em>), where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in constitutional law. Alexandru has a long experience as an expert on public policy issues, especially education and transportation. He worked with public officials, decision-makers, and MPs on various pieces of legislation. Website: bajdechi.ro

<img class="size-medium wp-image-200 alignleft" src="https://quartet.ro/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/img-Marius-1-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> <h1>Marius Ghincea</h1> <h2>Program Director, <em>Foreign & Security Policy</em></h2> Marius, a co-founder of the Institute, assumes a pivotal role as the head of our Foreign and Security Policy Cluster. His leadership extends to being a standing member of the Institute's Board, where he actively contributes to shaping our strategic initiatives. Marius earned his Ph.D. in Political and Social Sciences at the European University Institute in Florence. Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Researcher at ETH Zurich, a Visiting Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute, and a Senior Fellow at the GlobalFocus Centre in Bucharest. Marius is the distinguished recipient of several prestigious scholarships. Among others, he was a Fulbright Scholar and a Global Leaders Fellow at the George Washington University, an EUI-Oxford Dahrendorf Fellow at St. Anthony's College, Oxford, a Research Fellow at the Hertie School, and a re:constitution fellow in the joint program of Forum Transregionale Studien and Democracy Reporting International, funded by Stiftung Mercator. He also served in teaching roles at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna,  the EUI's School of Transnational Governance in Florence, and Syracuse University. Beyond academia, Marius actively engages in policy-oriented research and consultancy for both private and public entities. His focus is on EU's foreign and security policy, global political ordering, Black Sea security, and transatlantic relations. He is particularly keen on studying foreign and security policy dynamics in his native Central and Eastern Europe, including the Black Sea. Within the Quartet Institute, he develops of Economic Statecraft Initiative, our 'Romania in the World' program, and our policy projects on regional security cooperation. Over the past decade, Marius amassed experience with various think tanks specializing in foreign and security policy, as well as political risk. His professional footprint extends across Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, and the United States.