Dr. Mariya Heletiy is a Ukrainian political scientist and international relations expert specializing in conflict resolution, democratic governance, and civil society development. With over 20 years of experience across academic, governmental, and nonprofit sectors, she has dedicated her career to promoting peace, strengthening democratic institutions, and supporting Ukraine’s post-conflict recovery and international integration. She currently resides in Berlin, Germany, where she continues her work in international diplomacy and policy advocacy.

Dr. Heletiy has served as the Deputy Chief of Party for the USAID Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Activity, a five-year initiative led by a consortium of Ukrainian civil society organizations including Ednannia, CEDEM (Center for Democracy and Rule of Law), and UCIPR (Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research). In this role, she focused on improving the legal framework, sustainability, and institutional resilience of Ukrainian CSOs during wartime and beyond.

Previously, she managed political process and elections programs for USAID Ukraine, contributing to transparent electoral reform and inclusive democratic participation. She also led security and policy projects at the Open Ukraine Foundation, promoting Euro-Atlantic cooperation and supporting regional leadership in foreign policy.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Heletiy founded and directed the European Information and Research Center of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, now integrated into the Parliament’s Research Service. In that capacity, she played a key role in fostering EU-Ukraine legislative cooperation and policy research.

Dr. Heletiy holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in International Relations from academic institutions in Ukraine, with a doctoral focus on post-Yugoslav conflict resolution and peace-building. She also completed research fellowships at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and the University of California, Berkeley, where she expanded her expertise in international conflict analysis and comparative peace processes.

Dr. Heletiy is an active contributor to policy and academic discourse on peace and conflict. Her recent publications include “Peace Formula and Lessons Learned from the Balkans and Nagorno-Karabakh” in Ukraine Analytica, and an op-ed in St. Antony’s International Review, where she explores historical lessons applicable to Ukraine’s current war and peace efforts.

She serves on the advisory board of the International Diplomacy Initiative and collaborates with networks that support democratic resilience, civil society empowerment, and post-war reconstruction in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

Dr. Heletiy is fluent in Ukrainian, English, and Serbian.