Konstantinos Niafas was born in Thessaloniki. He has studied humanities in the School of Philosophy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and completed his postgraduate and doctoral studies in the Universities of Leeds and of Exeter (UK). Since 1998, he has worked in the European Commission and EU agencies, dealing with regional policy and structural funds, and with the reconstruction and European integration of the Western Balkans. He is currently working as Programme Manager in the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, Unit for Cyprus and Greece.