Emil Avdaliani is a professor of international relations at European University and a scholar of silk roads, He holds a master’s degree from the University of Oxford and PhD degree from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU). His doctorate thesis focuses on Byzantine and Sassanian military strategy in late antiquity. Dr Avdaliani currently teaches history and international relations at TSU and Ilia State University. He has published a number of books including his latest “Georgia and Silk Roads (VI-XIII cc.)” and participated in several research projects. Dr Avdaliani specializes on modern political and military issues in the South Caucasus and wider Eurasia with a particular focus on Iran, Turkey, China and generally Middle East regional matters, its major actors’ strategic culture and geopolitical aspirations. Dr Avdaliani has worked for different international consulting companies a regional analyst covering Russia and its neighbours. He regularly publishes works at CEPA, Caucasuswatch.de, Intellinews.com, Georgia Today etc. He speaks and writes in English, French, Russian, Farsi and Kurmanji.