Biography Soran Naqishbandy is a senior International Relations strategist, and cultural diplomat with over two decades of experience operating at the intersection of public diplomacy, public opinion tracking, and global communications. He holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced Public and Cultural Diplomacy for International Relations from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, Italy. Throughout his distinguished career, Soran has specialized in managing large-scale soft power campaigns, transnational communication networks, and institutional legitimacy frameworks, and is the published author of six books in the fields of Literature, Art, and Civilization. Soran is a passionate advocate for critical thinking and the liberal arts education style. To foster global academic dialogue, he also serves as an International Debate Judge certified by the Qatar Foundation, evaluating high-stakes competitive academic debates for both Qatar and Kurdistan Debate. Soran's profound contribution to regional heritage and place reputation is highlighted by his key role in the successful inscription and listing of Sulaimani as an accredited UNESCO City of Literature, representing the city globally within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). This milestone aligns with his active leadership roles, in founding the Kurdistan Nation Branding Initiative. As the Founder of the Logos Agency for Cultural Diplomacy and the long-time Public Relations and Communications Manager for the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), Soran has managed some of the region's most prominent platforms. His extensive organizational portfolio includes coordinating the premier geopolitical Sulaimani Forum, the Galawej International Cultural and Intellectual Festival, the Halabja Pomegranate Festival, and regional TEDx platforms, alongside directing cross-border creative industry programs in partnership with GIZ and the Goethe-Institut. Fluent in English, Kurdish, Arabic, and Persian, Soran brings a deeply nuanced, multilingual, and multicultural perspective to global advocacy, social justice, and humanitarian cooperation. As an active member of VisionAID, Soran channels his strategic expertise, academic advocacy, and operational leadership directly into the organization's core humanitarian and structural initiatives. He leverages his deep understanding of regional geopolitics, crisis tracking, and human-centric diplomacy to support the organization's efforts on genocide issues and humanitarian aid, coordinating international solidarity to support vulnerable populations. Through his extensive history of directing cross-border cultural initiatives, promoting critical thinking, and translating literary masterworks, he works within VisionAID to build inclusive spaces for intercultural dialogue and social justice, aiming to dismantle polarization and foster global co-existence. Additionally, Soran brings over twenty years of elite media coordination, crisis public relations, and narrative-framing experience to amplify the organization's global voice and media communication strategies, ensuring transparent, impactful international outreach. Finally, utilizing his proven track record of coordinating high-stakes international summits, diplomatic events, and complex multi-stakeholder humanitarian auctions, he actively supports the logistical planning, organizational development, and execution of VisionAID’s key transnational conferences and physical events.
Email: contact@visionaidngo.org