Biljana Vankovska is a full professor of political sciences and international relations at the Faculty of Philosophy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Macedonia. Since the mid-1990s, she has been a pioneer in peace and conflict studies in the country. Her research interests span the political transformations and transition of the Balkan societies, the EU political system, the Balkan and international security, peace and conflict analysis, privatization of security, civil-military relations, and transitional justice. Vankovska is a founder and until recently headed the Global Changes Center, a research unit within the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. In 2023 she was nominated by the Faculty of Philosophy as a candidate for a member in the Macedonian Academy of sciences and arts (MANU). 

Vankovska is a prolific scholar, and up to date she authored a few university textbooks, such as: Transitional Justice (2021), Political System (2014), Institutions of the EU (2010), International Security (2011).

Prof. Vankovska has served three terms as editor-in-chief of the international scholarly journal Security Dialogues and remains a member of several editorial boards, including the Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies and Journal of International Relations and Development.

Vankovska has held several prominent research and teaching positions, including as Guest Senior Research Fellow at the Copenhagen Peace Research Institute (COPRI) from 1997 to 2000, faculty staff at the European Peace University (EPU) in Stadtschlaining, Austria (2000–2014), and Senior Fellow at the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) (2001–2002). She is also a member of the Global Governance Forum, convened by Princeton professor, Richard Falk.

She has been an associate of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research (TFF) for nearly 30 years, and currently is a TFF Board member. Vankovska is a member of the No Cold War collective since November 2024. She was among the first signatories of the 2023 Declaration of Conscience and Concern of Global Intellectuals on Gaza Genocide.