Gio Kobakhidze

Gio Kobakhidze is Country Director for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Ukraine. He brings over 15 years of expertise in democracy and governance worldwide. He has supported and led IFES country offices in Georgia, Ukraine, and Lithuania, and provided strategic and operational leadership across IFES offices in Eastern Europe, Africa, and IFES headquarters in the United States.

In Ukraine, Kobakhidze has overseen critical programming during both the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war, advancing free, fair, and inclusive elections; promoting political integrity; strengthening digital transformation and cybersecurity resilience; and safeguarding the political and electoral rights of all Ukrainians. 

Globally, Kobakhidze advises IFES on civic education initiatives that equip young people with foundational knowledge of democratic governance, civic participation, and human rights through interactive methodologies. He pioneered IFES’ flagship civic education approach—Strengthening Engagement through Education for Democracy (SEED)—which has reached over 60,000 students across 165 universities and vocational schools around the world.

Kobakhidze holds dual degrees in Political Science and International Studies from Loyola University of Chicago. He contributes thought leadership on democratic resilience through op-eds published by leading outlets, including the Atlantic Council.