INTERNATIOAL INSTITUTE FOR POLITICAL STUDIES

Head:
Doc. PhDr. P. Fiala, Dr.

Veveří 70, 611 80 Brno
tel.: 41 321 297

The activities of the International Institute for Political Studies were directed (as in the previous years) on the organizing of seminars and conferences, the publishing of periodicals and professional publications and the implementation of academic projects.

At the beginning of March, the Institute joined forces with the Czech Association for United Nations to hold the "UN Peace Operations" seminar. In the middle of May, the Institute welcomed to Brno Mrs Magda Vašáryová, President of the Slovak Society for Foreign Policy, who presented a lecture concerning the development of cooperation in the region of central Europe. A visit of the former Austrian Vice-chancellor Erhard Busek on May 21 - 22 concluded with his giving a lecture and chairing a seminar on the expansion of the European Union and on the Austrian experience organized by the Institute and the Centre for Democratic and Cultural Studies. In June, a "NATO Day" was held in which the Brno Military Academy, VUT and the Czech Atlantic Commission were involved. An already existing relationship with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation was deepened and its help allowed the Institute to hold many seminars and conferences. The first of these, "Czech-German Relations after the Acceptance of the Declaration" took place in September and addressed a highly topical issue for both - Czech and German - parties. Well-known academics present included Prof. F. Seibt from Germany, and Czech historians and diplomats Prof. J. Havránek and J. Winkler. The "Intergovernmental EU Conference and Prospects for Associate Countries" international conference, the second event in conjunction with the Foundation, was held in October and focused on political, economic and legal aspects of our proposed membership of the EU. At the end of November came a third conference, "The Development and Importance of Euro-regions". Among those invited were guests from EU member countries and leading figures of the Czech state administration. All the above-mentioned conferences met with great interest, testimony to which was provided by the presence of many senators, members of parliament, academics, diplomats, members of the general public and the mass media.

The Institute issues the quarterly "Political Science Journal" and the publication of a new bi-monthly called "Politics in the Czech Republic" continued the tradition of its predecessor "The Building of States". A monitoring review of important events was processed by students of MU faculties. Alongside these regular periodicals, the Institute also published a book by Prof. I. Gaiourek from Holland and Prof. J. Nehnivajsy from the USA called "The Imprisoned, Pursued and Unrespected".

In the field of academic research, it is necessary to mention the granting of an award by the Open Society Fund of Prague for the implementation of the "Student Research Programme" supporting the development of MU students demonstrating talent in the social sciences.