Ratiu Forum

Our team

Educated in the United Kingdom at Marlborough College, and the United States, New York University, with a BSc in Marine Transportation and economics. As Chairman of The Ratiu Foundation, a British registered charity (est. 1979) with headquarters in Manchester Square, London, Nicolae chairs a board of 5 Ratiu family members who award annually up to 50 grants, worth c. GBP 200,000, in various fields (study, research, projects, travel etc.) both in the UK and Romania. A businessman and philanthropist, Nicolae is also trustee of charities in Romania and the UK: The Romanian Cultural Centre in London, Pro Patrimonio (The National Trust of Romania), ADEPT, The Relief Fund for Romania and the Ratiu Center for Democracy. In addition, through the Ratiu Foundation, Nicolae supports major cultural and educational programs in UK, Romania and US, among which are: The Ion Ratiu Chair of Romanian Studies at Georgetown University, Washington; The annual Ion Ratiu Democracy Award and Fellowship in Washington; The Ion Ratiu Award for Investigative Journalism; The Elisabeth Pilkington Ratiu Award for Advances in Mental Health.

Christopher Coker was Director of LSE IDEAS, LSE’s foreign policy think tank.
His publications include Rebooting Clausewitz (Hurst, 2015), Men at War: what fiction has to tell us about conflict from the Iliad to Catch 22 (Hurst, 2014); The Improbable War: China, the US and the logic of Great Power War (Hurst, 2015); Future War (Polity, 2016), and The Rise of the Civilizational State (Polity, 2019). His most recent book is Why War? (2020).
He was Professor of International Relations at LSE, retiring in 2019. He was a former twice serving member of the Council of the Royal United Services Institute, a former NATO Fellow and a regular lecturer at Defence Colleges in the UK, US. Rome, Singapore, and Tokyo. He had also been a Visiting Fellow at the National Institute for Defence Studies In Tokyo, the Rajaratnam School for International Studies Singapore, the Political Science Dept in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and the Norwegian and Swedish Defence Colleges.

Pamela Ratiu is executive director to Romania of U.K. registered Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation and of the Ratiu Forum, a project run in partnership with the London School of Economics IDEAS Think Tank. Her expertise covers management, event concept, public relations and partnership development. Pamela has 30 years of experience in international management for both the public and private sector, actively supporting sustainable non-profit organizational development in Transylvania. Pamela joined Ratiu Democracy Centre in 2004 and has actively supported the partnership with Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in offering the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award to those fighting for democracy around the world. She has also initiated the Ratiu Dialogues on Democracy, a series of lectures that aim to strengthen discussions and visions on democracy, reuniting professionals with diverse backgrounds who share an interest in current challenges facing Balkan nations, with a particular emphasis on Romania. Pamela Ratiu is also coordinating the sustainability initiatives run by the Ratiu foundations in Romania to support the local community projects of the Ratiu Democracy Centre. Throughout the years she developed a sustainability ecosystem in Turda, seat of the Ratiu family. This includes social businesses in the field of hospitality and creates local employment opportunities. Contact: pratiu@ratiuforum.com

Stuart is working closely with the Ratiu Forum team. Stuart studied History BA at the University of Kent, then completed an MSc in History of International Relations at LSE – specialising in the Cold War, the Balkans, and the Rise and Fall of Communism in Europe. After working in a number of government departments, Stuart joined LSE IDEAS in early 2020, as research assistant to the Engelsberg Chair for History and International Affairs – most recently Prof Margaret MacMillan. Following the end of the Engelsberg series in Summer 2022, he was also appointed Editor of publications.

A senior executive with a substantial record of strategic business development in international markets. Dr Knight holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and an Executive MBA. As Centre Manager of LSE IDEAS, she is in charge of the day-to-day running of the centre. She oversees all financial arrangements concerning the centre and is in overall charge of information, events and external communication. She has previously worked as Marketing Manager, Publishing for Apple UK and later joined Adobe as their Marketing Director, Europe. She went on to establish the Business Software Alliance in Europe to combat software piracy and protect intellectual property.

Dana has been working with the Ratiu Foundations since 2013. She has a background in Journalism and Public Relations and a decade of experience in designing and executing comprehensive communication and event strategies for both NGOs and corporate clients. She has also coordinated a wide range of communication activities for different CSR initiatives in the fields of vocational education, digital education and environmental protection, as well as ample fundraising campaigns and events.

Maria recently graduated with an MSc in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Oxford where she previously studied for a BA in History. Her master’s research has focused on the increasing rise of illiberalism in Eastern Europe, looking particularly at the use of propaganda and disinformation in the refashioning of national identity and international relations in the region. She has volunteering experience in event management for university publications and organisations. Maria is originally from Timisoara, Romania but grew up in London where she is currently based.

Ruxandra Albescu is currently pursuing a BSc in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Ruxandra joined the Ratiu Forum in 2023 as a Communications Officer, overseeing the social media platforms, online content and collaborating with partners on joint projects. In addition to being a student and intern, she is a Common Futures Conversations Representative at Chatham House and a Correspondent covering UK & Europe for the London Globalist, LSE’s student-run international affairs journal. At age 16, Ruxandra was awarded in the 19 Under 19 campaign of Romanian magazine Decât o Revistă (DoR) in recognition of the civic advocacy and social impact work carried out during her time as Project Writing Manager in the UN Youth Association of Romania, Vaslui Club. Ruxandra is originally from Vaslui, Romania and is currently based in London.

Nicoleta has an Art and Design background and a bachelor degree in Science Education, and has been working with the Ratiu foundations since 2007. Starting as a Program Manager, she focused afterwards on design, handling various projects – from concept development and branding, to graphic illustration and web design. She holds a postgraduate certificate in graphic and web design obtained in Milan, where she has also worked as an e-learning specialist and as a graphic designer for various fashion press offices.