DemocraCE Fellows

Meet Influential Voices from the Region

21 October 2019

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The #DemocraCE project cooperates with knowledgeable authors who write pieces for a general public published in their native language and on the Visegrad Insight website.

Visegrad Insight has chosen a number of leading authors from Central and Eastern Europe to act as Fellows in their home communities for the #DemocraCE project. Our Fellows share their knowledge and offer articles, interviews and analysis, which serve to combat false narratives and disinformation. This way, they inform the general public and improve the health of democracy in the CEE region.

Please find more information about our Fellows below.

 

Current #DemocraCE Fellows

 

Edit Zgut (HU) is a Hungarian political scientist based in Warsaw. She is a guest lecturer at the University of Warsaw, Centre for Europe where she is teaching Central European cooperation within the European Union. She is a PhD student at GSSR in the Polish Academy of Sciences, her main field of research is democratic backsliding in the V4 countries and the constraining role of the EU. Read Edit’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Marcin Zaborowski (PL) is a Senior Associate at Visegrad Insight. He is is the Former Executive Director of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) in Warsaw. In 2001, he received his PhD in International Studies from the University of Birmingham in the UK. Read Marcin’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Aro Velmet (EE) is an editor of the Estonian cultural monthly Vikerkaar, a member of the Eurozine network of cultural journals. He teaches European history at the University of Southern California and researches the history of science, technology, and medicine in modern Europe. His book, Pasteur’s Empire: Bacteriology and Politics in France, Its Colonies, and the World will be published by Oxford University Press in 2020. Read Aro’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Jan Klesla (CZ) is the Director of the Institute for Digital Economy (IDE) and a former economics reporter, editor and commentator. He has focused on the digital economy, particularly investments and regulations in the area of the technological disruption of traditional industries. Currently, he externally advises the Czech government on issues of digital transformation and AI specifically, and is one of the co-authors of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. Read Jan’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Zuzana Kepplová (SK) is a Journalist, Commentator and Editor of the Opinion Sector for SME since 2015. She studied dramaturgy and screenwriting at the Academy of Performing Arts (VŠMU) in Bratislava in the class of Dušan Dušek and Jozef Puškáš. She completed her doctoral studies at the Department of Family Studies at the CEU in Budapest and at the Department of Culturology at Stony Brook University, New York. Read Zuzana’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Aliaksei Kazharski (BY) a Researcher at the Institute of European Studies and International Relations of the Comenius University in Bratislava and a lecturer at the Department of Security Studies of Charles University in Prague. He obtained his PhD in 2015 and his dissertation was published by Central European University as a monograph in 2019 (Eurasian Integration and the Russian World: Regionalism as an Identitary Enterprise). Read Aliaksei’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Tomasz Kasprowicz (PL) is Vice President of the Res Publica Foundation and economics editor of Res Publica Nowa. He holds a PhD degree in finance. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and National Louis University. He is an academic lecturer with over a decade of experience on three continents. Read Tomasz’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Matej Kandrík (SK) is Director at the think-tank STRATPOL – Strategic Policy Institute. He graduated from Security and Strategic Studies at the Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Since 2015, he has been Editor-in-Chief of security-related website On War | On Peace dedicated to strategic thinking, modern warfare and contemporary security issues. Read Matej’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Jarosław Gwizdak (PL) is a former judge and Court President in Katowice. He currently works as a teacher, columnist and activist. He was the first person awarded the „Civic Judge of the Year” prize. Read Jarosław’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Ruslanas Iržikevičius (LT) is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Lithuania Tribune, a portal providing news about Lithuania in English since 2009. He also is the Editor-in-Chief of the English version of 15min.lt and Founder of the LT Daily Newsletter. Read Ruslanas’ articles for V/I here.

 

 

Spasimir Domaradzki (PL/BG) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Lazarski University in Warsaw. In 2007, he received his PhD in International Relations from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Read Spasimir’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Bence Bámer (HU) is a Freelance Editor and Videographer with a decade of experience as a broadcast journalist for 24.hu and Hír TV. Read Bence’s articles for V/I here.

 

 

Editorial Team

 

Wojciech Przybylski (PL) is Editor-in-Chief of Visegrad Insight and the President of the board of the Res Publica Foundation. Previously he has been the Editor-in-Chief of Eurozine – a magazine representing a network of European cultural journals. In 2017 he co-edited the volume Understanding Central Europe, published by Routledge. Read Wojciech’s articles for V/I here.

 

Quincy Cloet (BE) is Managing Editor of Visegrad Insight and a Researcher with the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. He holds a PhD in International Politics from the University of Aberystwyth (Wales) and has published on international history and European affairs. Read Quincy’s articles for V/I here.

 

Gabriela Rogowska (PL) is Supporting Editor of Res Publica and Visegrad Insight. She is a graduate of Mediterranean Studies and Philosophy at the University of Warsaw. Read Gabriela’s articles for V/I here.

 

Interested in our #DemocraCE Fellowship programme? Please get in touch with us via email.