EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, Department of Social Policy and Intervention           Oxford, UK/Remotely

Doctor in Social Policy & Barnett Scholarship Holder                                                                   2020 – 2025

(Junior Visiting Fellow – Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) Vienna: January-March 2024)

Doctoral Thesis: Population Aging in (Eastern) Europe: Trends, Policy Responses, and Policy Outcomes

• Chapter 1: What Policy Functions Are Reflected in Child Benefit Variation by Child Age and Birth Order? (published in the Journal of Social Policy and Administration)
• Chapter 2: From a Demographic Trend to an Existential Threat: The Discursive Representation of Low Fertility in North Macedonia and Serbia. (published in the Journal for Social Policy)
• Chapter 3: Welfare Chauvinism: Do European Countries Discriminate against Large Low-Income Families in their Child Benefit Packages?
• Chapter 4: Child Benefits and Fertility: The Role of Generosity Variation by Child Age and Birth Order

Key skills acquired: research design, econometric analysis (STATA/R), policy microsimulation, literature review

 

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, Center for Eurasian Studies (CERES)                     Washington DC, US

Master of Arts in Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies                                                    2017 – 2019

Full Merit-Based Scholarship (∼ USD 120,000) – School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Selected Coursework: International Public Health, Health in Eurasia, Data Analysis, Postsocialist Transitions

 

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, School of Slavonic Studies (SSEES)                            London, UK

Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Sociology                                                                                         2014 – 2017

Full Merit-Based Scholarship (∼ GBP 90,000) – Ministry of Education, Republic of North Macedonia

 

CORE WORK EXPERIENCE

VIENNA INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC STUDIES (WIIW)                                Vienna, Austria Economist                                                                                                                         Feb. 2024 – present

• Co-coordinating a 1,000,000 EUR/year research and advocacy network on tobacco taxation in Eastern Europe by supervising the research of nine regional partners and conducting independent research on the topic
• Contributing to economic forecasts and geopolitical analyses in the Western Balkans

THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT (EIU), OXFORD ANALYTICA                    London/Oxford, UK/Remote

Ad Hoc Consultant – Western Balkans                                                                                  Aug. 2020 – present

• Forecasting the short-term & long-term impact of current events on political stability and economic prospects
• Working under tight deadlines, often upon the request of individual or corporate clients of the EIU and OA

SOLUTION – BALKAN CENTRE FOR CONSTRUCTIVE POLICIES                                                       Remote

Founding Member of Imagine, an advocacy group                                                              Nov. 2023 – present

• Advocating for merit-based systemic change in North Macedonia through position papers, advocacy meetings, and public campaigns alongside former Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and 15 mid-career policy professionals

IPSOS, EU Evaluation                                                                                                              London, UK/Remote

Senior Consultant (part-time)                                                                                                      Jan. – Oct. 2023

• Analysed EU policies and programmes in public health, nutrition, and the environment using qualitative and quantitative methods; presented findings to European Commission representatives
• Facilitated project acquisition by providing background research and designing qualitative and quantitative methodologies for EU policy evaluation bids, as well as supervising similar work by junior colleagues

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA)                                           Skopje, North Macedonia/Remote

Consultant for National Demographic Strategy                                                                 Jan. 2023 – Jan. 2024

• Provided input on the Republic of North Macedonia’s 2025-2035 National Demographic Strategy, in collaboration with the former Minister of Finance, Prof. Dragan Tevdovski, with special emphasis on family-related policies and the implications of population aging for social systems (including healthcare)
• Liaised with a wide range of national and local stakeholders (government officials, civil society representatives, and academics) in identifying key obstacles to the future implementation of the Strategy

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD/UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON (various departments)        London/Oxford, UK

Teaching Assistant – Politics 101; Comparative European Politics                    Autumn 2021 – Autumn 2022

• Taught undergraduate tutorials to diverse groups of 2-15 students and designed tutorial plans autonomously
• Marked formative and summative coursework and provided feedback

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, Department of Social Policy and Intervention                                       Oxford, UK

Family Policy Researcher                                                                                                            Jan. – Jun. 2022

• Produced seven single-authored country reports on cash (including food stamps)-, leave-, and service-based family policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Eastern Europe for a UNICEF-funded research project

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, St Antony’s College, Dahrendorf Programme                                       Oxford, UK

Research Assistant to Prof. Timothy Garton Ash                                                             Dec. 2020 – Apr. 2023

• Helped design four waves of polling of citizens’ social policy priorities in the EU across all member states for an Oxford-published book on the future of the EU; presented key findings to Oxford and Brussels policy audiences
• Provided fact-checking and background research for Prof. Garton Ash’s widely acclaimed 2023 book Homelands: A Personal History of Europe

USAID/CHEMONICS INTERNATIONAL, Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI)                                  Skopje, MK

Program Officer                                                                                                                                 Jul. 2019 – Sep. 2020

• Worked in a team of 12 colleagues on identifying weaknesses in the realms of social justice, anti-corruption, and media in North Macedonia; communicated findings to NGO staff, anti-corruption officials, and journalists
• Coordinated the implementation of over 20 USAID-funded projects in social justice, anti-corruption, and media support at a combined worth of USD 8 million (main focus: a TV debate with average viewership of 200 000)
• Served as a bridge between USAID in-country and home-office representatives and over 20 local grantees

ADDITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

UNITED WORLD COLLEGES (UWC), international high schools                                                          Remote

Co-Chair and Head of Selections for North Macedonia                                                    Sep. 2014 – present                                                        

• Worked in teams of 9 graders to select 22 students out of ∼500 applicants and trained 11 new graders
• Negotiated 18 new two-year scholarships worth a combined $900 000 at 10 UWC colleges around the world

 

CENTER FOR EURASIAN STUDIES (CERES), Georgetown University                              Washington DC, US

Communications Fellow                                                                                              Jan. 2019 – Sep. 2020

• Co-ran the Center’s social media accounts and helped increase its Facebook reach by 80%
• Prepared short summaries of all media activities and recent publications by faculty for the Center’s website

 

FORUM FOR DEMOCRATIC MACEDONIA, diaspora advocacy group                                  Washington, DC

Public Relations and Advocacy Officer                                                                            Dec. 2017 – Jun. 2019

• Drafted press releases articulating FDM’s positions on political and policy developments in North Macedonia
• Participated in preparing applications for funding from Macedonian government institutions for advocacy events
• Organized and participated in meetings between leading Macedonian politicians and US Congressmen

 

THE VOSTOKIAN, online magazine on East European politics and society                                         Remote

Editor in Chief                                                                                                                            Mar. 2015 – Jun. 2019

• Edited op-eds by a dozen students and young specialists on Eastern Europe on a weekly basis.
• Increased readership to an average of 500 views per article and built a Facebook following of 2,700 people.

THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION                                                                                       Washington, DC

Intern, Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI) – Eurasia                                                                            Jan. – Mar. 2018

• Provided background research for project opportunities in the realm of rule of law in the Balkans
• Assisted ABA ROLI’s programming in the realm of internet freedom and criminal justice reform in Eurasia

 

 

 

 

 

SKILLS, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Languages: English, Macedonian, Serbian (native or native-level proficiency); Italian (full working proficiency); Russian, German, Bulgarian (ability to conduct research and engage in basic communication)

IT Competences: STATA, Shodan, Censys, Mailchimp, WordPress, Tableau, Canva, Microsoft Office

Selected Research Publications:

*Fidanovski, K., Jovanovikj, B., Kungl, N., Ross, H. (2025). Easier to afford, more likely to be smoked? Marlboro indices show higher cigarette affordability in Southeast Europe. wiiw Policy Note 101.

            *Fidanovski, K., Jovanovikj, B., Kungl, N., Ross, H. (2024). Analysis of the Fiscal and Health Impact of Increasing Tobacco Excise Taxes in Ukraine. wiiw Policy Note/Policy Report, No. 82, Vienna, August 2024 (funded by the World Bank).

*Astrov, V., Bykova, A., Durakovic, S., Fidanovski, K., Hanzl-Weiss, D., Hunya, G., Jovanovic, B., Kochnev, A., Koprar, N., Christoph-Strohm, B. (2024). Macro and financial scenario analysis for Addiko Bank country operations. wiiw, Vienna, April 2024 (for internal use).

*Sikk, A. et al. (2024). Bertelsmann Foundation Transformation Index. Political and Economic Asseasment of North Macedonia (2022-2023).

*Fidanovski, K., Rechica, V. (2024). North Maceonia Goes to Euro 2020: Ethnic Perceptions of the “Other” on Facebook. In D. Wojtaszyn, T. Borisov, M. Melichaerk (eds.) Football in the Balkans II: A Social and Political Phenomenon. Peter Lang Inc.

*Fidanovski, K., Rechica, V. (2023). North Macedonia on the European electoral map: How proportional is the Macedonian Electoral Model? Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis.

*Fidanovski, K. (2022). Family Policy Responses to COVID-19: Country Reports for Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti.

*Van Bavel, J.J., Cichocka, A., Capraro, V. et al. (2022). National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic. Nature Communications, 13 (517).

*Fidanovski, K., Paugam, G. (2021). Social Europe in Garton Ash, T. (ed.) Young Europeans Speak to EU. Dahrendorf Programme, European Studies Centre, University of Oxford.

*Blanusa, N., Denkovski, O., Fidanovski, K., Gjoneska, B. (2021). EU-related Conspiracy Theories in the Balkans: Gravitating Between Rejecting and Embracing Europe through Eurovilification and Eurofundamentalism in Krouwel, A., Onnerfors, A. (eds). Europe: Continent of Conspiracies. London, UK: Routledge.

*Fidanovski, K. (2018). What’s in a Name? Possible Ways Forward in the Macedonian Name Dispute. Slovo, Vol. 31, No. 1, 18-44.

Selected Policy Engagement and Panel Discussions:

*Panelist, Summit of the Future: What Kind of Future Can it Deliver? Bled Strategic Forum, Bled, ‘24

*External Testimony, Council of Europe, Western Balkans Subcommittee (chaired by former Greek PM Alexis Tsipras), Session on lessons from the Macedonian-Greek Prespa Agreement, Strasbourg, ‘24

*Guest Lecturer, Population Aging Lessons for Policymakers, Joint Vienna Institute, ’25, ’24, ‘23

*Panelist, Demographic Challenges in the Balkans, State Faculty of Philosophy – Skopje, ‘23

*Panelist, South East Europe in the shadow of the war in Ukraine, University of Oxford, ‘22

*Chair, Getting Older: Demographic Challenges in South East Europe, University of Oxford, ‘22

*Panelist, What Young Europeans Want the EU to Be, House of European History, Brussels, ‘22

*Chair, North Macedonia: From State Capture to NATO Entry in 2 Years, Georgetown University, ‘19

*Participant, Prof. Francis Fukuyama’s Leadership Academy for Development, Stanford University, ‘18

Selected Opinion Pieces:

*Babies boon: Pronatalism isn’t a lost cause, let alone a right-wing one (The Economist, 2025)

*East European pronatalism: the right policy for the wrong reasons (Eurozine, 2024)

*Bumps on the Road to EU Membership in the Western Balkans (Bled Strategic Times, 2024)

*Making Babies: The Discourse, Design, and Results of Serbian Pronatalism (Balkan Insight, 2023)

*Visa Cancellation Only Polishes Djokovic’s Martyr Image in Balkans (Balkan Insight, 2022)

*What ‘Counts’ in Bosnia and North Macedonia: Demographic Trends (EU Western Balkans, 2020)

*When Our Loss Is Their Gain: COVID-19 and Government Popularity (The New Federalist, 2020)

*One Swallow Does Not Make a Balkan Summer: North Macedonia and the Kosovo Land Swap (New Eastern Europe, 2019; featured in the NATO Defence College Foundation Strategic Press Review for June 2019)

*Russia’s Pension Reforms Are Painful But Necessary (New Eastern Europe, 2018)

*Catalonia and Yugoslavia: An Unfounded Analogy (The New Federalist, 2017)

Selected Media Appearances:

*Population Census 2021: Analysis of the Results (2022; MTV 1; in Macedonian)

*Unpacking Migration and Development (2020; Helvetas Foundation Podcast)

*Do We Know How Many People Live in North Macedonia? (September 2020; TV 24; in Macedonian)

Selected Conference Presentations:

*Getting Old in Eastern Europe. Social, Political and Economic Dimensions of Ageing in the Past and Present. University of Regensburg, June 2024

*European Health Economics Conference, Vienna University of Business and Economics, June 2024