Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation

Bogdan Cozma is a program coordinator at the Black Sea Trust. He supports the Pro-Elect project, which promotes participatory and representative democracy in the Eastern Partnership countries. He also writes policy briefs on electoral systems in the Black Sea area, the impact of geopolitics on Central and Eastern Europe, and the role of civic engagement in promoting democratic principles. He previously worked on grantmaking initiatives in Ukraine and Türkiye with funding from USAID, the European Commission, the Porticus Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Cozma has additional expertise in the Three Seas Initiative, EU institutions and foreign policy, and the politics of the Black Sea region. 

Cozma holds a master’s degree in philosophy, politics, and economics and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Bucharest. He is a PhD candidate at the Doctoral School of International Affairs at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies.

Dinu Toderașcu is a Bucharest-based senior program officer responsible for managing ProElect and INCRES, both EU-funded projects. Prior to joining GMF, he worked for the National Democratic Institute in Moldova as a program officer, assisting the country director with program design and implementation. In 2019, he was appointed chief of staff to Moldova’s minister of foreign affairs and European integration. He was appointed three months later state secretary at the ministry and was responsible for bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Toderașcu holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Bucharest and a master’s degree in European public affairs from Maastricht University. He is a fluent in English, Russian, and Romanian. 

Sergiu Panainte is the deputy director of the Black Sea Trust (BST), overseeing the strategic and operational implementation of BST’s grantmaking and capacity building activities across the Black Sea region. He is responsible for conceptualizing and leading programs, engaging with major donors and stakeholders, and managing a diverse team to foster regional cooperation and development. 

Panainte is a seasoned professional in the field of international relations, grant management, and democracy, with a focus on the Black Sea basin and administration of programs that support civil society, media, human rights, and democratic development. His expertise also extends to monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

Fluent in Romanian, English, and Russian, Panainte holds master’s degrees in international relations and European studies from Central European University in Budapest and in international relations from Moldova State University. His scholarly work includes several publications focused on regional politics and EU relations.