Elmar Mustafayev has an extensive professional background in university teaching, faculty management, and work within a state regulatory body for higher education. He is also a member of the Standing Group on Russia and the Post-Soviet Space of the Italian Political Science Association (SISP) and serves as a National Contact Point for Horizon Europe.

He earned his BA from Qafqaz University and his MA in International Relations from Sapienza Università di Roma within the "State Program on Education of Azerbaijani Youth Abroad". He later completed his PhD in History of International Relations at Sapienza Università di Roma.

During his studies, he completed internships at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Rome and at the European Parliament in Brussels. He also worked as a research fellow at the Center for Geopolitical Studies (Centro Studi Geopolitica) in Rome and contributed to the book "Le Guerre del Caucaso Meridionale", which examines the geopolitics and conflicts of the South Caucasus.

• PhD in History of International Relations, Sapienza Università di Roma (2015-2019);
• MA in International Relations, Sapienza Università di Roma (2013-2015);
• BA in Translation and Interpretation, Qafqaz University (2006-2011)

• Recipient of a Jean Monnet Project grant;
• Recipient of the State Scholarship Program for Study Abroad

His research focuses on the geopolitics of the South Caucasus, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, European Union studies and Europeanization, as well as higher education policy and management. He has contributed to a number of academic and analytical works, including “EU Values and Interests in the Resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: French Unilateralism” published in Insight Turkey, the interview “What has sparked the latest tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh?” with Al Jazeera in 2023, the book chapter “Le guerre del Caucaso meridionale” in “Il Caucaso Meridionale: Processi politici e attori di un’area strategica” edited by Gabriele Natalizia, “Europeanization and Conflict Resolution: The role of EU in resolution of conflicts via the mechanisms of Europeanization” published in Scientific Works of SDU, “Changing Theoretical Perspectives on Europeanization” published in Scientific Works of NU, “Diffusion of Europeanization by exporting the EU Regionalism Model” published in Transactions of Pedagogical University and “Nagorno-Karabakh: Forgotten, Not Frozen” published in Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine.