Nini Pataridze is a first-year Master's candidate in the International Affairs program at the Elliott School, concentrating in Conflict and Conflict Resolution. She received her bachelor's degree in history and political science from Grinnell College in 2022. Specifically, she is passionate about mitigating active conflicts worldwide and providing long-term policy solutions for regional security in the post-soviet space. She is currently interning at the Council on Foreign Relations' Center for Preventive Action, writing daily briefs and conducting research on ongoing conflicts globally. She is also a mentee at the United States Institute of Peace, where she gains insight into global peacekeeping missions. She has experience in conducting research in the field of medieval history and enjoys writing fiction short stories for fun.
What path led you to apply to graduate school? Why did you choose the Elliott School?
Experiencing war as a child in my home country of Georgia shaped my interest in international affairs and conflict resolution. I decided to pursue a master's degree to expand my knowledge in the field and gain experience in regional and thematic concentrations that would help my future career in resolving and mediating conflict globally. I chose the Elliott School because it offered a flexible curriculum that combined sub-divisions within international affairs in a fascinating way. The program provides a cornerstone that lays the necessary theoretical foundation for the field but also presents various courses tailored to unique interests— different regions of the world or themes ranging from global security to environmental studies. Such diversity of the curriculum interested me because I wanted to specialize in conflict resolution but also focus most of my courses in the Eastern European region.
Where do you currently intern and how does it fit in with your career goals?
I am currently interning at the Council on Foreign Relations Center for Preventive Action, where we track conflicts globally and provide research and updates on each. The internship is a great learning experience for conflict research, as it allows me to write about various ongoing wars, regional violence, and extreme instabilities worldwide. It also allows me to engage with professionals in international affairs and foreign policy, whose expertise and advice, I believe, will prove indispensable for my future career. I am also a part of the university's mentorship program with the United States Institute of Peace, where I gain insight into peacekeeping missions globally and discuss political issues with my mentors. The USIP program complements my internship opportunity in a way that the two supply skills that I will find essential in my future career in diplomacy and politics.
Now that you're a graduate student, what do you wish you knew during the graduate application process?
I wish I had better stress-management techniques during my graduate application process. Pursuing a master's degree teaches good time management and stress-coping mechanisms, which I was not good at during the application process. I would have benefitted if I knew how to strategize better and divide my time efficiently in that stressful scenario of the graduate application process.
What has been your most valuable experience while studying at the Elliott School?
Genuine and academic interactions with people from various backgrounds and a similar passion for international affairs was my most valuable experience. As an international student, I value cultural and informational exchange as it helps us become more understanding and allows us to bridge cultural gaps around the world. Students and professors in my program helped me grow as a person and as a professional by allowing me to learn from their unique points of view. I was able to listen to contrasting opinions, hear about different life experiences, and understand everyone's motivations for the field, which allowed me to be more understanding and perceptive of where people's decision-making processes stem from. The professors taught me how to approach the field with creativity and open-mindedness and how to handle possible difficulties in my future career effectively. International affairs is an immense field and without such interactions and experiences, it is almost impossible to navigate it effectively. Therefore, connections that I made throughout my program with students and faculty are things I will cherish and reflect on after I graduate from the program.
What is your favorite place to visit in D.C. and why?
I love going to the National Mall, especially when it is nice outside, and everyone sits on the lawn around the Washington Monument. It becomes such a lively place full of various activities once the weather permits that it truly shows all that D.C. can offer.
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The #WeAreElliott profile series is managed by the Elliott School Office of Graduate Admissions and highlights current students to answer common questions posed by prospective, incoming, and current students. For more information on this series or to submit questions, e-mail the Office of Graduate Admissions at esiagrad@gwu.edu.
The views expressed by students profiled do not necessarily represent those of organizations they work for, are affiliated with, or the Elliott School of International Affairs.
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