Guests of Groong Podcast

Fyodor Lukyanov

Fyodor Lukyanov is Chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, a Russian think tank providing expertise in the foreign policy field. He is also editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, a platform for publication in English and Russian of research in political science and international relations. Mr. Lukyanov is also Director of Research at the Valdai Discussion Club.

Georgi Derlugyan

Dr. Georgi Derlugyan is a sociologist and historian with expertise in ethnic violence, guerrilla movements and revolutions, particularly in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Africa, as well as post-Cold War globalization. Since 2011 he has been a professor of Social Research and Public Policy at New York University in Abu Dhabi.

Gev Iskajyan

Gev Iskajyan is the National Grassroots Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Before joining ANCA in 2024, he served as the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Artsakh, where he worked to raise international awareness about Artsakh’s challenges and led relief efforts.

Previously, Iskajyan held leadership roles with ANCA Western Region, the Armenian Youth Federation, and the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee, where he organized impactful initiatives like the ‘March for Justice’ in 2015. His insights have been featured in prominent outlets such as CNN, BBC, and Newsweek. Iskajyan studied Political Science and Philosophy at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Gilbert Doctorow

Dr. Gilbert Doctorow is a professional Russia watcher of Russian affairs going back to 1965. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College (1967), a past Fulbright scholar, and holder of a Ph.D. with honors in history from Columbia University (1975).

After completing his studies, Mr. Doctorow pursued a business career focused on the USSR and Eastern Europe. For twenty-five years he worked for US and European multinationals in marketing and general management with regional responsibility.

From 1998-2002, Doctorow served as the Chairman of the Russian Booker Literary Prize in Moscow. Since 2008, Mr. Doctorow has been regularly publishing analytical articles about Russia-U.S.-EU relations on the internet. From this material he produced six books of essays, the most recent of which is the just published War Diaries. He also is the author of a two-volume set of Memoirs of a Russianist: From the Ground Up and Russia in the Roaring 1990s. A Russian edition of the Memoirs has been published in St Petersburg.

Doctorow is a long time resident of Belgium.

Giro Manoyan

Mr. Giro Manoyan, has been a member of the ARF-D Bureau since 2015. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, he moved to Montreal, Canada in 1976 and attended Concordia University, where he studied Political Science. He has served as the Executive Secretary of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, as well as Editor in Chief of the Horizon Armenian Weekly. In 1999 he moved to Yerevan and has served as the Executive Director of the Bureau of the ARF-Dashnaksutyun, in charge of the Armenian Cause, Hai Tahd Central Committee. ՀՅԴ Բիւրոյի Հայ Դատի եւ քաղաքական հարցերու գրասենեակի պատասխանատու.

Glenn Diesen

Dr. Glenn Diesen a professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway, and associate editor at Russia in Global Affairs, and editor of Political economy, Russian foreign policy and Eurasian integration.

Glenn Diesen has authored several influential books that explore the geopolitical shifts in the modern world, with a particular focus on Russia’s role in the emerging global order. His works include “The Think Tank Racket: Managing the Information War with Russia”, which critiques Western think tanks and their influence on public perception and policy. “In Europe as the Western Peninsula of Greater Eurasia”, he examines the strategic implications of Eurasian integration and Europe’s changing role in the global power structure. “Russian Conservatism: Managing Change under Permanent Revolution” delves into the ideological foundations of Russian conservatism and its impact on domestic and foreign policy. Diesen’s books collectively provide a nuanced understanding of the interplay between economics, ideology, and geopolitics, offering fresh perspectives on the reconfiguration of global power and the West’s engagement with Russia

Hagop Djernazian

Hagop Djernazian is an activist and co-founder of the Save The ArQ movement. He lives in Jerusalem and studies International relations and middle east studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Hagop Ipdjian

Hagop Idjian is advisor to the State Minister, he runs Artsakh Support Body, an humanitarian organization based in Artsakh. He’s a diasporan who moved to Artsakh following the war in 2020.

Hakob Hakobyan

Hakob Hakobyan is the co-chair of the Artsakh Justice Party.

Հակոբ Հակոբյան, Արցախի Արդարություն Կուսակցություն նախագահ: