Meet the EAVI Team

EAVI is run by a dynamic team based in Brussels. We also have many experts, volunteers and individuals who collaborate with EAVI on a project-by-project basis. Our core Brussels team ensures the smooth running of daily activities.

Marco Ricceri

EAVI President

Marco Ricceri is an expert in social and employment policies. He is a publicist, author of books and essays on European social politics, labour culture, industrial democracy. He taught European Union History in many Italian Universities and he is responsible for the International relations of the Institute.

Paolo Celot

Founding Member and Secretary General

Paolo has accumulated considerable international experience in the media over two decades. He has extensive experience in the media public and private broadcast media industry in London, Milan and Brussels, working with the BBC, RAI and the EBU, as well as television advertising agencies and various public institutions.

Paolo is an economist from Pisa University and a European affairs advisor specialised in the media sector. He is an expert on media literacy, working with the European Commission and the Council of Europe Steering Committee on Media and Information Society.

Paolo has authored many books and studies, delivered presentations and contributed to publications on media and citizenship-related issues in four different languages. He remains interested by the challenges posed by emerging media forms and issues relating to media literacy and European public spheres.

Semih Solmaz

General Manager

Semih graduated salutatorian from the Department of English Language and Literature at Bilkent University with a minor in analytic philosophy. He holds a master’s degree with honours from KU Leuven’s Department of European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives, where he specialised in European Cultural and Media Policies. At EAVI, Semih is responsible for the daily operations and coordination, including activities related to projects, development, communications, research, and policy. Moreover, Semih continuously produces audiovisual and written materials on various media literacy topics to empower digital citizenship in Europe. He is also an Assistant Coordinator of Voices.

Semih is interested in media and information literacy, critical theory, culture and social media, artificial intelligence, and disinformation. He is currently working on a digital well-being book project with EAVI’s founder and director, Paolo Celot, along with another book project under the supervision of a cultural studies professor, focusing on the interrelations between the concepts of post-truth, philosophy of media, and reality-making in the digital age.

Tristan Arnoux

Tristan Arnoux

Projects and Policy Assistant

Driven by humanist values and a strong interest in European politics, Tristan holds a Master’s degree in European Affairs and International Relations. His academic and professional path led him to work at the Council of Europe and the European Parliament before joining EAVI as a Projects and Policy Assistant.

At EAVI, Tristan contributes to the implementation of European projects and monitors EU policy developments on media literacy, disinformation, and digital regulations. He supports the organisation of policy discussions and engages in advocacy activities aimed at representing citizens’ interests and promoting a healthier and more democratic information society.

Alongside his professional activities, Tristan has been involved in human rights initiatives and civic projects. He is convinced that equipping citizens with the tools to critically assess information is essential for meaningful democratic participation, both online and offline.

Valeria Carmela Gallo

⁨Valeria Carmela Gallo⁩

Projects and Communications Assistant

Valeria holds a Bachelor’s degree with highest honours in Language and Literature Studies from the University of Florence and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies at KU Leuven. Alongside her studies, she has been actively involved in student representation, including course and department representative roles, and has initiated cultural projects and events through volunteer activities. These experiences have strengthened her skills in public speaking, intercultural communication, and event organisation.

At EAVI, Valeria is involved in projects, research, communications, and development activities. Her interests include cultural policy, artificial intelligence, democratic participation, and the role of media literacy in shaping digital citizenship.

Imbisaat Ali Khan

Communications and Design Assistant

Imbisaat holds a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a Master’s degree in Digital Media and Society from KU Leuven.

With experience in communications, social media, editorial design, video production, branding, and digital storytelling across nonprofit, educational, sustainability, and creative sectors, she combines strategic thinking with creativity to make complex ideas accessible and engaging. At EAVI, she uses digital media as a tool to promote media literacy, youth empowerment, and positive social change.

GiulioBattista

Giulio Leonardo Battista

Administration Assistant

Born and raised in Brussels, Giulio brings an international and European perspective shaped by his multicultural background and academic path. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences: Political Science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and a Master’s in Political Science: International Relations from the University of Amsterdam, where his research focused on how the European Union constructs and deploys its external discourse in its neighbourhood. He is currently pursuing a second Master’s in European Studies: European External Relations and Global Politics at KU Leuven, where his ongoing thesis research critically examines the EU’s international responsibility and the tension between its normative commitments and its material engagement in situations of serious breaches of international law.

At EAVI, Giulio contributes to administration and development activities, supporting the day-to-day operational management of the organisation as well as its fundraising efforts and European project work.

Fabio Celot

Communications Assistant

Fabio is a free spirit who loves travelling and meeting people from all around the world. He is always looking for new adventures and loves taking the challenges he happens to find on his way.

Fabio is currently studying for a political sciences degree at the University of Bologna, which makes him very aware of the importance of knowing how to navigate this ocean of information we are living in. He has been helping EAVI since early 2020 in the development and implementation of a more modern communicational strategy on social media. Being open-minded and able to provide a younger and fresher perspective has greatly helped him in this process.

Naomi Thompson

Education Officer

Naomi has worked with EAVI since 2009 as a researcher and copywriter. She has a background in law, the American civil rights movement and the UK film industry, as well as in data analysis and project management. She has contributed to several European studies, including the landmark Study on Assessment Criteria for Media Literacy and its follow-ups. Naomi has a postgraduate degree in law, and is based in the UK.

EAVI is situated on Schuman Rond Point across from the Commission’s Berlaymont Building

  • Rond Point Schuman 9/16 Brussels 1040

  • +32 (0)2 230 30 06

  • eavi [@] eavi.eu

Supported by and working with…

UNAOC
European Audiovisual Observatory
Council of Europe
Europe for Citizens Programme
UNESCO