Atanas Kozarev attended primary and secondary school in Strumica. He gained academy knowledge on Faculty of security, at University “St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje as the best student in the class in 1993/94.
In 2005 he finished Postgraduate study at Academy at Ministry of Internal Affairs in Sofia, Bulgaria and received academic degree of Master in criminology.  
On 12.05.2011 he defended his doctorate at Faculty of law “Iustinianus Primus” at University “St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje and received academic degree of PhD in law sciences.  

In the period of 1994-2008 he worked in Ministry of Internal Affairs (Administration for security and counterintelligence (ASCI) and Public Security Bureau (PSB)). Since October 2008 he became Teaching Assistant for Security systems at Faculty of criminology and detectives at First Private University, European University Republic of Macedonia.
He is a member of Association of jurists of Republic of Macedonia, Association of Criminalists  of Republic of Macedonia, International Association of Criminalists.
Atanas Kozarev is President of NGO “Center of democracy and security” Skopje.  

Atanas Kozarev is author of Violation and football hooliganism in Republic of Macedonia (penalty-legal, criminology and criminalities aspects), Skopje 2007.
He participated at International Scientific and Expert Meetings:
International Conference – “Serbia and Regional Integrations” at Institute of International politics and economics, Belgrade 2009,  (Regional cooperation and fight against organized crime – a global security challenge)
First International scientific conference – Corporative Security, status and perspectives, at “Faculty of Legal and Business Studies” in Novi Sad 2008 (Private Security in the Republic of Macedonia – Status and Perspectives).
International Scientific – Expert Conference, Employment of contemporary methods and resources in elimination of crime, Brčko 2008, (Role of special investigative method in fight against organized crime, with special attention on practice in Republic of Macedonia).
International scientific conference “Security systems in multiethnic countries – comparative aspect”, “VIII Days of Criminal Justice Sciences” at FACULTY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SCIENCES, Sarajevo 2008, (Security System of Republic of Macedonia – Challenges And Perspectives).
Workshop of “Center of democracy and security”: Civil society and the reforms of Security sector, Strumica 2008.
International scientific conference “Global security challenges”, “VIII Days of Criminal Justice Sciences” at FACULTY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SCIENCES, Sarajevo 2007 (Reforms of security system of Republic of Macedonia).
He attended Training course “Management of Security related R&D in support of defence industrial Transformation, Funded by NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme”, Skopje, 2009.
He attended Training of "Investigative interviewing techniques, OSCE, Skopje 2007.
He attended A Four – day Internal Auditor Training Course (ISO 9001:2000/ISO 14001-2004) at American Quality and Environmental Group, Held in Skopje, 2008.