Ilgar Mammadov

Ilgar Mammadov (İlqar Məmmədov) is a political animal based in Baku, Azerbaijan. Born on June 14, 1970. Graduated from Moscow State Lomonosov University (1993), and Central European University in Budapest (1997). He is famous for his political views that reflect knowledge and perceptions of the new generation of Azerbaijani public opinion leaders.

Currently, Ilgar Mammadov is directing the Azerbaijani segment of the Council of Europe network of schools of political studies (http://www.coe.int/t/dc/files/themes/ecoles_politiques/default_EN.asp). In addition to that he sits in three Boards: OSI-Azerbaijan (Soros Foudation); global Advisory Board of Revenue Watch Institute (http://www.revenuewatch.org); and Advisory Board of the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (http://www.gmfus.org/blacksea).

Ilgar Mammadov is regular contributor to leading Azerbaijani media outlets, and international conferences on politics, democratization, geopolitics, and conflict resolution. His blog http://ilgarmammadov.livejournal.com was one of the first political online diaries in the country. In public discussions he is often seen as a new generation political figure that will lead Azerbaijani democratic opposition to the 2010 parliamentary elections. He himself denies political partizanship, although is an outspoken critic of the current Azerbaijani government.