Natalia Arkania has over six years of professional experience in the field of International Affairs and Development in the U.S. and Georgia. In 2007 she won the U.S. Department of State Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship and in May 2009 graduated with an M.A. in International Development (Summa Cum Laude) from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California. Prior to her fellowship, she served as a diplomat for the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Georgia. In the summer of 2008 she worked with the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships at the United Nations Secretariat in New York. Upon graduation from the Monterey Institute, she worked on the capacity & institution building and innovation programs with the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation, based in the Washington, D.C. area. She has also authored publications in her field of expertise and successfully participated in several professional training programs.