Branislav Stanicek is principal administrator and analyst at the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), the think tank of the European Parliament in Brussels covering EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy. Previously he held various positions at the European Commission, the European Committee of the Regions and the Foundation for Political Innovation in Paris. He studied political science at Pantheon-Sorbonne University (Paris I), geopolitics at Sorbonne University (Paris IV) and École Normale Supérieure (ENS) and international public law at Harvard University. He is lead author of the Normandy Peace Index, which won the 2023 Forbes Social Award for best initiative in public policy for its strong ethical message and robust communication strategy. He initiated establishment of the European Diplomatic Academy, the first pilot phase of which was successfully concluded in 2022/23.