SELF-DETERMINATION PROCESSES IN THE EU
4 September 2015
Institute of International Relations and Political
Science, Vilnius University
PARTICIPANTS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Kęstutis Girnius
Associate Professor, Institute of Political Science and International
Relations, Vilnius University (Lithuania)
Kęstutis Girnius is Associate Professor at the Institute of Political
Science and International Relations (IIRPS), Vilnius University
(Lithuania).
He is an Academician of the Lithuanian Catholic Academy of
Sciences and member of the editorial board of Genocidas ir
Rezistencija and Lituanus.
He has been a columnist for several Lithuanian publications,
including the daily Lietuvos zinios.
Kai-Olaf Lang
Head of the EU Integration Research Division for the German Institute for
International and Security Affairs (SWP)
Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security
Affairs of the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), Berlin,
Germany, research unit “Europe/EU”.
Previously research fellow of the Federal Institute for Eastern and
International Studies (Bundesinstitut für internationale und
ostwissenschaftliche Studien, BIOst), Cologne, Germany.
Fields of specialisation: Countries of Central and Eastern Europe
(CEE): transformation, political developments, foreign and security policy, bilateral
relations with Germany; EU enlargement and implications; security issues in CEE.
In recent years he has carried out research concerning foreign and security policies of
those countries, problems regarding accession of CEE countries to EU and domestic
problems of the countries; European Neighbourhood Policy.
He holds a diploma in public administration and a doctorate in political sciences
Member of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Osteuropakunde; member of German-Polish
Kopernikus-Group; member of Editorial Board of Przegląd Zachodni (Poznan),
Advisory Board of Aspen; Review Central Europe (Prague).
He holds a Bene Merito award by Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski.
Norrie MacQueen
Honorary Research Fellow, School of International Relations,
University of St Andrews
Norrie MacQueen is Honorary Research Fellow in the School of
International Relations at the University of St Andrews in
Scotland where he also teaches courses on international
peacekeeping and the United Nations. He has published a
number of books on these themes as well as on issues of
decolonization and post-colonial politics.
Norrie has previously researched and taught in various
institutions in Africa, the South Pacific and Australia. In 2012 he
was part of the Democratic Governance Support Unit of the UN peacekeeping mission
in Timor-Leste during its final phase. He is a Fellow of the foreign policy think-tank,
Scottish Global Forum.
Vicent Partal
Journalist, Director of VilaWeb (Catalan Digital Newspaper)
Vicent Partal (Bétera, 1960) is a Valencian journalist, founder and
manager of VilaWeb. He also worked in El Temps, Diari de
Barcelona, TVE, Catalunya Ràdio, El Punt, and La Vanguardia,
among others. He is considered an Internet pioneer.
In 1994, he created the self-styled "first news Internet system in the
Catalan Countries" named El Temps Online. In 1995, founded
Partal, Maresma & Associats, a company devoted to Internet
Consulting and access. From that initiative, La Infopista catalana
appeared in 1996, which later became VilaWeb.
Partal was known, before being editor of VilaWeb, as a foreign affairs reporter for TVE,
La Vanguardia and El Punt. He was reporting from several continents in moments like
the end of apartheid in South Africa, the independence process in the Baltic countries,
the democratic revolution in Eastern Europe, the war in the Balkans, the Tiananmen
uprising or several American elections.
He is currently the Deputy Chairman of the European Journalism Centre.
Partal has won a number of awards, including Catalonia’s National Internet Prize in
2000 and the National Journalism Prize in 2004.
He is author of several books on politics and journalism.
Albert Royo
Secretary General, Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia
Albert Royo (Barcelona, 1977) was named Secretary General of the
Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia in February 2013. He was
Secretary of Foreign Cooperation and secretary of Foreign Affairs
of the Government of Catalonia from 2004 until 2007 when several
cooperation agreements with the United Nations were signed and
the network of government delegations abroad was set up. Since
2001, Mr Royo had worked for the European Commission as head
of the press and communication unit, as well as head of the political
reporting unit at the Representation in Barcelona. Previously, he
had worked for the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to
the European Union in Brussels. He holds a BA in Political Science
and a Master’s degree in Applied Economic Analysis from University Pompeu Fabra
(UPF), as well as a degree in European Affairs from London School of Economics and
Political Science (LSE). Moreover, he is a lecturer of European and International
Institutions at UPF. As an electoral observer he took part in several international
missions organised by the OSCE or the Government of Catalonia.
Ana Stanič
Founder of E&A Law Limited and lecturer of International Arbitration Law
at the University of Dundee, Scotland
Ana founded E&A Law in 2007 following 12 years of working in
government and major legal firms. Based in London since 1998,
she has always operated internationally and is multilingual. She
specialises in providing tailored advice and legal representation
services to states, international institutions and energy
companies in the fields of Energy, Dispute Resolution and EU
and International Law.
She is reputed for her expertise in dealing with state-to-state matters, an area of strong
growth for the firm in 2014. She has extensive experience in negotiating international
agreements on behalf of states as well as with law and regulation drafting.
The regions where Ana has most experience include the EU, Central and Eastern
Europe and the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Ana is a Solicitor Advocate with rights of audience in the English and Australian courts,
as well as the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Rene Värk
Associate Professor of International Law, University of Tartu
Rene Värk (1977) is Associate Professor of International Law,
University of Tartu
Education: Doctor iuris, Faculty of Law, University of Tartu, 2011;
Doctoral Student, University of Tartu, 2002–2011; LLM, Stockholm
University, 2001; BA, History, University of Tallinn, 2009 (cum
laude); BA, Law, Institute of Law, 2000 (magna cum laude)
Career: Docent of International Law, University of Tartu, 2012–
current; Lecturer of International Law, University of Tartu, 2002–2012; Director of
Studies, Institute of Law, University of Tartu, 2002–2008; Lecturer of Public
International Law, Institute of Law, 2001–2002; Lawyer, Ministry of Environment, 1999–
2000
Main areas of research: Use of Armed Force; International Humanitarian Law;
Diplomatic and Consular Law
Ramūnas Vilpišauskas
Director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science,
Vilnius University
Director of the IIRPS, VU. Professor, doctor of social sciences.
Graduate of Vilnius University and Lancaster University (UK) (both
with distinctions). He has been teaching at the institute since
1996. In addition to the currently taught courses, he also taught
international economics, policy analysis, European economy,
public choice, EU enlargement. He has been a visiting fellow at
several universities in the USA (for example, Syracuse University)
and Canada (Carleton University), has been a Fulbright scholar at
the Columbia University, conducted research at a number of European institutions
including European University Institute (Florence). He has graduated International
Trade and Commercial Diplomacy program at Carleton University (Ottawa), Swedish
Institute Management Program (Stockholm). He has worked as a Chief Economic
Policy Advisor to the President of Lithuania and the Head of Economic and Social
Policy Group (2004-2009), has also been appointed to coordinate the team of advisors
to the President (2006-2009).
Formerly a President of the Lithuanian Political Science Association (2003-2004), a
member of the Board of the Open Society Foundation (2002-2004), a member of the
European Union Studies Association (EUSA, USA). For several years he has consulted
the Lithuanian Government on the process of accession into the EU, worked as a
consultant with the authorities of Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan on the
issues of European integration. A member of the Lithuanian Progress Council (since
2010) and the ”Sunset” Commission (since 2009).
Gediminas Vitkus
Professor, Institute of Political Science and International Relations, Vilnius
University
Prof. dr. Gediminas Vitkus is with the IIRPS since 1992.
1993-1995 Deputy director for academic work of the IIRPS.
1995-1998 Director of the European Integration Studies Center.
Since 1991 member of the Lithuanian Political Science
Association;
2000-2001 - President of the Association.
Since 1998 a member of the Center for Civic Initiatives.
2001-2013 Head and Professor of Political Science Department of
the Military Academy of Lithuania.
Since 2003 editor of the “Lithuanian Annual Strategic Review”.
Since 2011 Member of Committee for Humanities and Social Sciences of the Research
Council of Lithuania.
Since 2013 Head and Professor of European Studies department of the IIRPS VU.