Vasif Huseynov is the head of the Western Studies department at the Center for Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Additionally, he teaches politics at Khazar University and ADA University in Baku. Dr. Huseynov holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration in Azerbaijan, a Master of Arts degree in Global Political Economy from the University of Kassel, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Göttingen. His MA and PhD studies were supported with full scholarships by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). He has authored several op-eds, articles, and academic publications, including a book titled Geopolitical Rivalries in the ‘Common Neighborhood’: Russia’s Conflict with the West, Soft Power, and Neoclassical Realism, which was published by Ibidem Press in 2019 and distributed by Columbia University. Dr. Huseynov's research interests include EU-Azerbaijan relations and international security in the South Caucasus.