Our Team
Paata Gaprindashvili
Director
holds the position of Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS)’s Director since June 2016. Established in 2012, GRASS is a multi-profile think tank. Before taking a position of a Director Paata served as a Vice Director at GRASS and Editor-in-Chief of analytical-and-information service FactCheck Georgia, established by GRASS in April, 2013. He received an MA in International Law from Tbilisi State University in 1994 with continued post-graduate level studies at the George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies in Germany (2000) and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK (2001). A career diplomat, Paata holds the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
In 2009-2013, he was Georgia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Austria as well as the Permanent Representative of Georgia to the OSCE and other International Organisations in Vienna. In 2005, he served at the National Security Council. In 2004, he was the Deputy Minister of Defence. He served as Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Georgia in Ukraine (2003), Chargé d’affaires of the Georgian Embassy in Romania (2002) and First Secretary of the Embassy of Georgia to Greece (1995-1998). In 1999-2001, Paata was the Head of the Defence Policy Department at the Defence Ministry of Georgia. Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia in 1994, Paata has participated in a large number of international negotiations and has led Georgian delegations in various negotiations held on issues related to Georgia.
Tea Vakhania
Financial Manager
is financial manager at GRASS from April 2013. She was an extensive working experience in finances. Before GRASS she held different positions at the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia (Deputy Head of the Financial Department; Chief Specialist at Financial-Economic Division of the Financial Department); Ministry of Education and Culture of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia (Head of Financial and Procurement Department, Head of Financial Division) and Sokhumi State University (Chief Specialist at Financial Department). Ms. Vakhania gained her master degree in Accounting, Control and Analysis at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, the Sukhumi Branch.
Davit Kutidze
FactCheck Editor
received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with a specialisation in Journalism from the Shota Rustaveli State University in Batumi in 2011. In 2014, he received a Master’s degree in Mass Communications and Media Research from Tbilisi State University. From 2014, he is working on his PhD in Mass Communications at Tbilisi State University. In 2009-2011, he worked as a journalist in various print media companies. From 2015 to date, he is an Invited Lecturer at the Tbilisi Teaching University. In 2014, he participated in the South Caucasus International Symposium on Media Law organised by the Deutsche Welle Academy. He has completed trainings in public relations management, journalistic ethics and media coverage for minorities. Davit Kutidze speaks English in addition to his native Georgian.
From April 2013 until May 2017 he worked as an Analyst and Coordinator of FactCheck. From May 2017 David works as an Editor for FactCheck.
Maia Baghaturia
Manager
is Manager at Georgia’s Reforms Associates since 2014. She is trainings coordinator and author of various analytical articles in factcheck. Besides working in the NGO sector, she has experience of working in public and educational sectors. In 2011-2013 she worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, department of International Organizations, OSCE division. In 2010-2011 worked at University of Georgia as study program manager and in 2006-2009 at Georgia’s Employers’ Association, department of International relations, in the position of project administrative assistant.
In 2009 she obtained Master’s Degree in Public Administration, School of Politics & International Relations, at University of Georgia. She received Bachelor’s Degree in Faculty of West European Languages & Literature, at Tbilisi State University.
Mariam Tsitsikashvili
Project Manager
received a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, in 2016. Within Erasmus Mundus programme she studied International Relations at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan during 2014-2015 academic year. In 2016 Mariam was enrolled at the MA programme of Eurasian and Caucasus Studies at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. She worked as an analyst at FactCheck Georgia.
Currently, she works as a junior researcher and project manager at Georgia’s Reforms Associates.
Gogi Zoidze
Project Manager
participated in an exchange programme at Masaryk University, Czech Republic, in 2013. He received a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, in 2014. In 2016, he obtained a Master’s degree in Eurasian and Caucasus Studies from at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. He was a member of the Youth Study Group of Abkhazian and South Ossetian Issues. Gogi is the Co-Founder and Executive Board Member of the Cooperation for Peace and Progress, a non-governmental organisation. He also worked as a trainer in the Unknown Soviet Past project and led the Unknown Soviet Histories project in 2015. He has participated in numerous trainings, work seminars, public debates and student conferences.
Currently, he works as a junior researcher and project manager at GRASS.
Natia Ghvinjilia
Project Manager
graduated from Tbilisi State University. She has bachelor dagree in International Relations and master degree in Nationalism and Ethnicity studies. Ms. Ghvinjilia was an exchange student at the institute of International Relations, faculty of Journalism and Political Science of the University of Warsaw. Ms. Ghvinjilia worked for the Central Election Commission of Georgia, at the Coordination and Management Department and for the OSCE ODIHR, on the position of Media Monitor. She works as a project manager at Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS).
Currently, she works as a project manager at Georgia’s Reforms Associates.
Irina Gurgenashvili
Project Manager
Irina has graduated from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University faculty of social and political sciences, the direction of International Relations. Since 2016 she has been studying Ilia State University, on the programme of International Relations.
In 2013-2015 she worked in the academy journal of the university “the Diplomat”, where she prepared academical articles about international relations and the current actual issues about ongoing political situations. She was the member of the initiave group “ International Realtion Georgia” and she organized conferences about international relations. Irina has participated in many conferences and training cources (including international training cources and conferences). He has graduated from several civil training schools. She knows english, german and russian languages.
Nowadays Irina is the member of GRASS.