Rusif Huseynov

Co-founder, Director

Rusif Huseynov is the Director of the Topchubashov Center, a Baku-based think tank. His work focuses on socio-political developments, frozen conflicts, and ethnic minorities in post-Soviet countries, with particular attention to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Mr. Huseynov holds a bachelor’s degree from Baku State University and a master’s degree from the University of Tartu. He has been a ReThink.CEE fellow (2021) at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Local Focal Point within the EU4Dialogue project, and a Think Visegrad fellow (2025).

He regularly publishes commentary and provides interviews for various international media outlets.

Murad Muradov 

Co-founder, Deputy Director

Murad Muradov graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2011), a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Affairs from the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (2013) and a Master of Science in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics (2015). He participated in a number of training programs, summer schools and fellowships both in Azerbaijan and abroad, including the John Smith Trust Fellowship for Wider Europe (2017). His areas of expertise cover security and geopolitics of post-Soviet countries, Western European politics and international political economy.

Nigar Muzaffarova

Research Fellow

Nigar Muzaffarova is majoring at Public Policy and Social Change at the University of Tübingen. She obtained her bachelor's degree at the Academy of Public Administration. Data visualization and economic tendencies in the Caucasus region are her major fields of interest, alongside the developments in tech industries around the world. 

Nigar is an alumna of the CAT program 2019-2020 edition, Conflict School 2021 organized by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation and the "Media and Information Literacy" program of Interlink Academy in 2022.

Nigar is also specialized in writing and coordination of projects in the field of youth, especially focusing on human rights education, non-formal learning methods and peacebuilding. She has been a part of several boot camps, training and seminars on the above-mentioned topics.

Mahammad Mammadov

Research Fellow

Mahammad Mammadov is a Research Fellow at the Topchubashov Center, a Baku-based think tank. He is also an adjunct lecturer at Khazar University. 

Mr. Mammadov obtained his master's degree from the University of Glasgow and the University of Tartu. His research interests include energy, connectivity, geopolitical and transitional developments in the post-Soviet space with a specific focus on Azerbaijani foreign policy. His articles frequently appear in national as well as international publications such as the Georgian Institute of Politics, the National Interest, and the New Eastern Europe.

Gulkhanim Mammadova

Research fellow

Gulkhanim Mammadova is a South Caucasus-focused researcher and peacebuilding practitioner with over five years of experience working at the nexus of policy analysis and conflict transformation. She holds a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the Social Sciences University of Ankara, as well as a graduate certificate in Conflict Analysis and Mediation from the University of San Diego. Gulkhanim is also a member of the OSCE Pool of Young Experts. Her research interests span conflict dynamics, identity formation, and gender studies. Her peacebuilding practice includes designing and implementing initiatives aligned with the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agendas.

Shujaat Ahmadzada

Research fellow

Shujaat Ahmadzada is an independent researcher focusing on conflict transformation and foreign and security policies of the South Caucasus countries. Shujaat has taken a graduate certificate course in Conflict Analysis and Mediation at the University of San Diego in 2023. He holds MA in Central and East European, Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow (UK) and BA in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration (Azerbaijan). Moreover, Shujaat has years of experience in youth work, policy advisory, project management and peacebuilding.