Areas of Expertise

• International Political Economy
• Strategic Competition
• Transatlantic Partnership
• Southeast Europe
• Good Governance

Academic Degrees

• Ph.D., Political Economy, University of Bari, Italy
• Graduate Studies, International Marketing, Georgetown University, United States
• Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of Bologna, Italy

Dr. Valbona Zeneli joined the Marshall Center in August 2011 as a Professor of National Security Studies. She also serves as the Chair of Strategic Engagements in the Department of Strategic Security Studies. Her portfolio covers the Ukraine Defense Reform Program, the Senior Leaders’ Program for capacity building for parliamentarians, and the Loisach Group. Dr. Zeneli is also a non-resident Europe’s Future Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna, focusing her research on Chinese influence in the Balkans.

Before joining the Marshall Center, Dr. Zeneli was a professor of international economics at the European University of Tirana and associate professor at the New York University of Tirana. From 2003-2005, Dr. Zeneli served as economic adviser to the Albanian prime minister.

Dr. Zeneli has published numerous academic papers, book chapters, and policy papers and is a frequent contributor to international magazines. She has delivered more than 100 presentations in more than 30 countries, and is a frequent lecturer at the NATO School, the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, and several defense academies across Europe. She is part of the Transatlantic Leadership Network’s NATO Task Force, comprised of European and North American diplomats, military experts, and security analysts with significant experience in NATO affairs. She has completed several Executive Education programs at Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In 2019, Dr. Zeneli received a Certificate of Appreciation from Georgetown University for over 10 years of collaboration in research and publication.

Dr. Zeneli speaks Italian, German, Albanian, and some Spanish.