Sergiu Panainte is the deputy director of the Black Sea Trust. He is responsible for the grantmaking in the wider Black Sea area. He holds a master’s degree in international relations and European studies from the Central European University in Budapest as well as a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the Republic of Moldova State University in Chisinau. He is fluent in English, Russian, and his native Romanian. Previously, he worked for Open Society Foundation Romania, was he was extensively involved in regional cooperation projects with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova, as well as advocating for better public policies in Romania in the field of granting citizenship, the integration of migrants, and Roma inclusion. In Moldova Sergiu was affiliated with the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul” and worked for the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine.