Nino Kalandadze

Nino Kalandadze (Georgian: ნინო კალანდაძე; born March 11, 1977) is a Georgian politician, lawyer, diplomat, and civil society leader. She co-founded and serves as the executive director of the Chavchavadze Center for European Studies and Civic Education, a think-tank and political foundation in Georgia.

Nino Kalandadze
ნინო კალანდაძე
Nino Kalandadze in 2024
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
In office 2008–2012
Member of Parliament of Georgia
In office 2004–2008
Personal details
Born	Nino Kalandadze (1977-03-11) March 11, 1977 Georgia
Spouse	Zaza Bibilashvili
Children	1
Alma mater	Tbilisi State University, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
Occupation	Politician, lawyer, diplomat, civil society leader
Known for	Co-founding the Chavchavadze Center for European Studies and Civic Education
Awards	Order of Honors (Georgia), Presidential Order of Excellence (Georgia)

Early Life and Education

Kalandadze was born in 1977 in Georgia. In 1994, she finished Tbilisi public school N6. Later, she graduated from Gymnasium Schule Birklehof in Hinterzarten, Germany with an Abitur in 1996 Kalandadze earned a diploma in law from Tbilisi State University in 2002. She also studied at the University of Mannheim Faculty of Law in Germany from 1997 to 1999 . Kalandadze later received a Master's degree in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the United States in 2013.

Career - Government and Politics

From 2004-2008, Kalandadze was a Member of Parliament and held the position of Deputy Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee. In this role, she coordinated legislative efforts to reform Georgian administrative law, co-authored and initiated the draft Administrative Code of Georgia, and represented the parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe. She also served as a member of the High Council of Justice and the Georgian Pardoning Commission.

From 2008-2012, Kalandadze served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, overseeing bilateral relations with 45 European countries. She acted as the principal liaison for the Georgian government during and after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, actively engaging in international talks, ceasefire negotiations, and contributing to the elaboration and implementation of the "Non-Recognition Policy" of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Kalandadze facilitated the implementation of the "Steinmeier's Plan" aimed at integrating the breakaway regions into the Georgian political process. She led the EU-Georgia Talks in 2008, managed and supervised the Consular Department and internal/external communications, and served as the Parliamentary Secretary and official Spokesperson for the Ministry.

In 2012-2013, she served as an Advisor to the President of Georgia, followed by a position as Parliamentary Secretary at the Administration of the President in 2013. She was a board member of the political council of United National Movement party (UNM) in the years 2016 – 2018 and also headed the Strategic Communication Committee of UNM.

Academia

Kalandadze worked as a legal expert on administrative law for the German International Cooperation agency GIZ from 2001 to 2004.

In academia, she was a Lecturer and assistant Professor at Caucasus University's School of Governance from 2012 to 2014. Kalandadze then served as Academic Program Director from 2013 to 2014, and later as Dean of Caucasus University from 2014 to 2023.

Public Activities

Since 2018, Kalandadze has been the Co - founder and Executive Director of the Chavchavadze Center for European Studies and Civic Education, the first civil society organization in Georgia modeled after European political foundations. The Center is an independent and nonpartisan institution with an ambitious, long-term vision of transforming Georgia through education, spread of critical thinking and cultivating a sense of individual responsibility. Named after Ilia Chavchavadze, a lasting symbol of Georgia’s national revival, the Center aims to promote active citizenship and civic engagement, within the overall framework of democracy promotion.  It is also focused on creating a more transparent and accountable political system. The Center is dedicated to promoting democratic Western values, supporting political pluralism, protecting mainstream political agenda and fostering a more informed, rational decision-making and political discourse both by citizens as well as Georgia’s political class.

The main projects of the Chavchavadze Center include:

• Civic Memory
• Project Common Sense – Civil Society vis-à-vis Politics
• Youth for Justice
• Intra-Party Democracy in Georgia
• Countering Disinformation in Georgia
• Agora Discussion and Debate Club
• Magazine New Iveria.

While working with various interest groups, the Center’s emphasis and primary focus is on the youth and those Georgians who are currently less exposed to the West.

Kalandadze is a frequent public speaker on Georgia's foreign policy and internal politics.

Personal life

Nino Kalandadze is married to Zaza Bibilashvili and has one son

Publications

Kalandadze has authored or co-authored several publications, including:

• The Time to Gather Stones – Overcoming Georgia's Two-party Divide (2023)
• Causes of the Intra-party Democracy Deficit in Georgia (co-author, 2022)
• Consequences of Deficit of Intra-party Democracy in Georgia (co-author, 2022)
• Intra-party Democracy in Georgia (co-author, 2020)
• Liberalism and Georgia (co-author, 2020)
• Manual on the General Administrative Code of Georgia (co-author, 2005)
• Legal Regulations on Euthanasia in Georgia (conference chapter, 2001)
• The Fight for Freedom: Georgia's Battle Against Authoritarianism
• Judicial Reform in Georgia
• Democracy in a Hijacked State

Kalandadze has also contributed to legislative reforms such as Georgia's General Administrative Code, anti-corruption legislation amendments, and anti-money laundering amendments.

Other activities

Kalandadze is a member of the Georgian Bar Association and has experience in consulting on public administration and anti-corruption reform. She has contributed as a trainer and lecturer for organizations such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, focusing on topics such as intra-party democracy, political parties, foreign policy, and negotiation skills.

Honors and awards

Kalandadze has received several honors and awards, including:

• Order of Honors (Georgia)
• Presidential Order of Excellence (Georgia)
• Diplomatic Rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia
• Full Scholarship, Birklehof School (Germany)
• Scholarship, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (USA)