Advisor to the Czech minister of foreign affairs. Formerly Deputy Executive Director of the International Visegrad Fund. In 2000 graduated form the University of Economics in Prague, Faculty of International Relations. 1998 - 2003 Deputy Executive Director of the Forum 2000 Foundation in Prague under the auspices of Václav Havel, where he organized a number of conferences and collaborated with Czech NGOs. In 2004 worked as the head of media center for Ukraine in Europe and the World Conference in Kiev and later in the same year mentor of Iraqi NGO leaders in Amman, Jordan as part of the People In Need project.
Experts
René Kubášek
Jakub Kulhánek
A chief adviser to the Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic. A Research Fellow at Association for International Affairs Research Center. Previously, he has worked for the Center for European Policy Analysis and Eurasian Strategy Project. He holds an MA in Eurasian Studies from the E. A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Washington DC, and a BA in International Studies from Charles University in Prague. His regional focus is on the post-Soviet space and Russia. His primary area of interest is Russia’s policy towards NATO and the EU. He has published extensively on post-Soviet affairs, among others, in the Harvard International Review, Problems of Post-Communism, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) journal, The Moscow Times and on the Atlantic Council and Foreign Policy Magazine websites.
Janusz Majcherek
Philosopher, sociologist, journalist. Lecturer at the Pedagogical University of Krakow. He was awarded the Polish Pulitzer-Prize PRESS for the best publicist of the year 1999.
Olga Maksymenko
She is public relations professional and career and life coach, author of LIFE STYLIST project. Holds MA in Sociology from Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, MA in Political Science from Central European University (Hungary) and Advanced Certificate in PR from Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR, UK). She has extensive experience in public relations, worked for business, NGO sectors and diplomatic representations, including EU Delegation to Ukraine and British Embassy to Ukraine. As a certified life and career coach, she helps recent graduates and young professionals who are already part of the working world to identify the career they desire and deserve and to navigate the transition towards it.
Jerzy Margański
Ambassador of Poland to Germany since 2013. Graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and History at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow; Doctor of Humanities, Professor at Gustav-Sieerth-Akademie, Germany. Joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1990. Second Secretary, subsequently First Secretary and Counsellor of the Polish Embassy in Bonn (1990-1995). Vice-Director, subsequently Director of Department of Europe-West (1995-1997). Minister Plenipotentiary at the Representation of the Polish Embassy in Berlin (1997-1999). Director of the Secretariat of the Minister (1999-2001). In the years 2001-2005 Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Switzerland. Ambassador of Poland to Austria (2008-2013).
Piotr Naimski
Polish politician, former Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy. PhD degree in sciences at Warsaw University. From 1999 to October 2001 Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek’s advisor on national security. Member of the Team for the Diversification of Natural Gas Supplies to Poland. Coordinated the activities leading to the signing of the agreement on natural gas supplies from Norway. In 2000–2001 member of the Supervisory Board of the Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG). Professor and, since 2003, Dean of the Faculty of Political Studies at the National-Louis University in Nowy Sącz, Poland.
Janina Paradowska
Political journalist of the Polish weekly Polityka, and Radio TOK FM. Graduated from the Jagiellonian University. Began her career in journalism in the Kurier Polski, later in the Życie Warszawy. Winner of the Ksawery and Mieczysław Pruszyński Foundation Award, of the Bocheński Award, and numerous awards of the Polish Journalists Association. Journalist of the Year 2002 – Grand Press.
Patricia Pászt
Born in Budapest. Studied Polish and Hungarian Philology, Philosophy and Tourism. Translator, journalist, founder and Director of the Polish-Hungarian Foundation Cracovia Expres. In 1995-1996 worked at the Polish Institute in Hungary as a translator and project coordinator. Currently, she is terminating her PhD thesis on Polish literature at the University of Debrecen, Hungary.
Viliam Pätoprstý
Chief Analyst of UniBanka Slovakia, member of UniCredit Group. Graduated in economics from Bocconi University in Milano and in banking and finance from University of Economics in Bratislava. Until 2001 worked with MESA10 - an independent economic think-tank. In 2001 he joined UniBanka. He is an author and a co-author of several publications and studies in the field of banking sector and economic development. He is regularly quoted by local and international media on current economic issues.
Eszter Pócs
Born in Kecskemét; she has been working in the Kecskemét Animation Film Studio founded by her mother – an animated film Director – for ten years. She has always been interested in animated films and film making and claims that “animation is visual poetry, where creators can express their thoughts and feelings about the world in a free and individual way”. At present, she deals mainly with film making. She has taken part in the making of many foreign and domestic films but Hungarian Folk Tales is her favourite work. She is currently working on some further episodes of this series.
