Julija Belej Bakovic currently serves as the Regional Director for Asia where she oversees the Institute’s programs for China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Malaysia and Timor-Leste.    

Belej Bakovic first began working with IRI in 1999 in her native country of Serbia, in charge of IRI’s programs for the student movement.  She also worked on IRI’s programs to build a nationwide network of political party poll watchers and to establish a parallel vote count for the national election in September 2000.  Following the elections, Belej Bakovic worked on local government reform and national government communications programs.  During this period, she also served as a communications advisor on IRI’s behalf to the office of the Prime Minister of Serbia.  

In early 2003, Belej Bakovic left IRI to pursue a professional career in molecular biology but continued to stay involved in Serbian politics.  She was a candidate for the Serbian national parliament in December 2003, and again ran for municipal council in August 2004.  In September 2004, Belej Bakovic rejoined IRI working on political party programming in northern Iraq.  She was promoted to Resident Country Director in August 2005 and relocated to IRI’s Iraq headquarters in Baghdad.  In this position, Belej Bakovic oversaw implementation of programs in support of Iraq’s parliament, political parties, civil society, ethnic and religious minority rights and women’s empowerment.  

In June 2006, Belej Bakovic moved to Washington, DC to direct IRI’s Iraq Program, a position she held through January 2010.   Belej Bakovic holds a master of science degree in molecular biology and physiology from the University of Belgrade. 

Julija’s Speeches, Testimony and Writings:

The Vanguard Voices of Laotian Civil Society

Dissent of the North Koreans: Against All Odds