MA in journalism at the Charles University, leader of the 1960s student movement in Prague. Following the Warsaw Pact invasion in Czechoslovakia in 1968 he was forced to emigrate to the UK. He studied International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Politics at the University of Reading and in the St Anthony’s College, Oxford University. Founder of Palach Press Agency in London in 1974, which later became the main press agency for Czechoslovak opposition in the Western Europe. It was also the main distributor in the world of documents and reports issued by human rights movement Charter 77. He also formed the Jan Palach Information and Research Trust (JPIRT) which provided Czechoslovak dissidents with books and technical equipment and supported underground university courses. Founder of the East European Cultural Foundation (EECF) and the prestigious quarterly East European Reporter, which published all important documents and articles written by dissidents in Eastern and Central European countries. Returned to Prague from political exile in November 1989 and was elected in June 1990 to the Federal Assembly (Parliament). A notable academic career included posts as the Visiting Professor of Politics and History at the Adeplhi University in New York and as the Karl Loewenstein Fellow in Politics and Jurisprudence at the Amherst College in Massachusetts. He holds several honorary degrees, including the Honorary Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Honorary Doctor of Humane letters at the Adeplhi University. 1973-1989 lecturer at the Institute of Adult Education in London. 1998-2002 Minister of Foreign Affairs. 1999 - 2002 Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and Security Policy. President of the 57th session of the United Nations General Assembly (2002-2003). June 2002-2006 Deputy to the Czech Parliament, where he worked as Vice-President in the Foreign Affairs Committee. Foreign affairs adviser to the President of the Chamber of Deputies (Parliament) 2007- . Winner of numerous awards for achievements in the strife for democracy and human rights.
Experts - democracy
Jan Kavan
András Lanczi
Political scientist focusing upon political philosophy. Since 2002 he has been the Director of the Institute of Political Science, Corvinus University of Budapest. He is a lecturer in the history of 20th century political philosophy, political economy and democratic theory. He has been publishing for twenty years producing five books, editing three encyclopaedias, and active in Hungarian public life. He was a Fulbright Professor at the Louisiana State University, 1997-8, was awarded the annual 'Bibó-prize' in 2003. A discussion leader of the Liberty Fund. Also, he has been an advisor to the incumbent Hungarian President, László Sólyom.
Eliška Sláviková
joined the Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA) in February 2008. She is carrying out research and project activities on Western Balkans, Latin America, Democracy and Development, Human Rights in Foreign Policy. In 2002-2007 she worked in the People in Peril Association, a Slovak NGO providing relief aid and development assistance, defending human rights and freedoms worldwide, where she established and supervised the Democratization and Human Rights Program. She was managing development projects in Kosovo, BiH, Serbia, Ukraine and Cuba. In the period of 2000-2002 the worked in the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy in Prague as the editor of the “Integrace” journal focued on EU issues and the integration process. She received MA degree in the International Teritorrial Studies at the Charles University in Prague.
Łukasz Turski
Professor of Physics. Graduated from Warsaw University and Warsaw Technical University. Laureate of the Hugo Steinhaus Prize and the Golden Medal of the European Physical Society. Author of numerous publications in journals and several radio and TV programs on science and society. Creator and ongoing chair for the Warsaw Scientific Picnics (since 1997). Chair for Copernicus Science Center Council. Member of the Polish Adam Smith Center Council. From 1996 till 2003 chair of the Polish Public Radio Commission on Education Programs. From 2000-2004 elected member of the State Committee for Research (KBN). Visiting Professor in Universities and Research Institutions in the US, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden. Full professor of physics in the Center for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (since 1985) and since 2002 full professor in the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Department of the Cardinal Wyszyński University.
Luboš Veselý
Born in Prague. Graduated at the Institute for International Studies at Charles University (BA) in 2002. Student of Russian and Eastern European Studies at the Institute for International Studies at Charles University (MA). Part-time employment at the Foreign Politics Department of the Office of the Czech President in 2001-2002. Founding member, and since 2001 President of the Association for International Affairs. Former member of Prague Model United Nations Secretariat. Since 1998 works for People in Need Foundation (Human Rights and Democratization Projects). Author of several articles in International Policy, Respekt and Literární noviny magazines. Co-author of the Czech part of The Dictionary of Dissidents.
Jacek Wasilewski
Jacek Wasilewski is a professor of sociology, he teaches at Polish and American Universities. His main field of interest is sociology of the elites. His recent publications include books and articles on political elites and consolidation of democracy in Poland and Central Europe.
Jacek Woźniakowski
Professor of history of art. Uniwersytet Jagielloński and Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski. He also was the chairman of the board of Villa Decius Association, now its Honorary President. He cooperated with Tygodnik Powszechny, was chief editor of Znak and chief editor of publishing house Znak. 1989 he took part in the Round Table negotiations. 1990-1991 he was mayor of the of city Kraków. Author of dozens of books: "Zapiski kanadyjskie", "Góry niewzruszone" and articles, interpreter of Bennett and Greene. For special merits for France in field of culture awarded with Croix de la Légion d'Honneur.
