René Schlee is the Regional Coordinator for South East Europe at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, based in Sarajevo. He has extensive experience in international relations and security, having previously led the Foundation's initiatives in Kosovo and North Macedonia, and many years of experience in various international organisations and institutions. René Schlee's academic career includes a Master in Strategic and Intelligence Studies at Aberystwyth University in the UK (2010-2011, graduated with honours) and a Master in Philosophy, Political Science and Psychology at the University of Heidelberg (2006-2013, graduated with honours). From 2009 to 2010, he spent an exchange year at Uppsala University in Sweden, where he studied peace and conflict studies and sociology. In 2010, he completed an internship in political affairs at the German Embassy in London and then worked as a research assistant and junior lecturer at the Department of Political Science at Heidelberg University from 2011 to 2012. He then worked as a research assistant at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin until 2013. From 2013 to February 2015, René Schlee gained his first experience at the IAEA as an Associate Radioactive Material Security Officer and from 2014 as a consultant. From 2015 to 2016, he worked as a management consultant at Business Performance Consulting in Heidelberg before joining the IAEA in 2016, first as Associate Nuclear Security Officer and from February 2018 as Nuclear Security Officer. In 2019, he moved to the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, where he initially worked as Country Director for Kosovo and North Macedonia in the foundation's Pristina and Skopje office until August 2023, before becoming Head of the Regional Office Dialogue South East Europe in 2023.