The Joint Center regularly invites distinguished guest researchers for longer or shorter periods of time. The Joint Center also benefits from having a set of associated researchers linked to itself. The Joint Center is led by a Chairman and a Director, with overall responsibility for the Joint Center's activities. These are joined by Research Fellows with specific responsibilities for individual projects. The Joint Center's Advisory Council is chaired by S. Enders Wimbush.

Dr. S. Frederick Starr

is Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center. He founded the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, and Distinguished Fellow at AFPC. Starr is a leading specialist on the society and politics of Central Asia, including Afghanistan, as well as Russian politics and foreign policy, U.S. policy in Eurasia, and the regional politics of energy. He holds degrees from Yale, Cambridge and Princeton. Starr chairs the Advisory council of the Institute for Security and Development Policy.

Dr. Svante E. Cornell

is Director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center and a co-director of the Institute for Security and Development Policy. He was a co-founder of the Silk Road Studies Program. His specialization is in security issues, regional politics, and state-building in the Caucasus, Turkey, and Central and Southwest Asia. He holds a Ph.D. degree from Uppsala University, an Honorary Doctoral degree from the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, and a B.Sc. degree from Middle East Technical University, Ankara.

 Laura Linderman, Senior Fellow for Eurasia and Director of Programs

Laura Linderman joined the American Foreign Policy Council as Senior Fellow and Director of Programs for Eurasia in August 2024. Her research focuses on Georgian politics, economics, and foreign relations. Previously, she was a Senior Fellow with the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council from 2015-2024 and Associate Director there from 2012-2014. She also taught South Caucasian studies to U.S. foreign affairs professionals preparing to depart for Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan at the Foreign Service Institute. 

Linderman was also a senior manager at Splunk, a machine data software company in Silicon Valley and served as a board member for the Transcaucasian Trail Association from 2017-2023. Linderman holds a BA in anthropology and German language and literature from Wellesley     College and an MA from  Indiana University in anthropology. She speaks Georgian and German.