Atis Lejins is the founder of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs and was its Director from 1992-2011. Currently, he serves as a member of the Advisory Board and is the Honorary Director of LIIA. Born in Latvia he worked in Australia, the USA, and Sweden before returning to Latvia after it regained independence in 1991. He was elected to the 10th, 11th and 12th Saeima (Latvian Parliament). During the 13th Saeima, he served as the Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He holds a master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Latvian Academy of Sciences has awarded Atis Lejins with an honorary doctorate (Dr.cs.pol.h.c).