CSIS Establishes Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair in SE Europe Studies

WASHINGTON – The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair in Southeast European Studies, and appointed Janusz Bugajski, director of the CSIS New European Democracies Project, as the inaugural chair holder.  The Chair was made possible by the generous support of Greek entrepreneur Dr. Lavrentis Lavrentiadis.

"The Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair will provide Washington with a comprehensive understanding of developments in Southeast Europe and the challenges still facing the region," said former National Security Advisor and CSIS Trustee and Counselor Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski.

"CSIS, as the premier international policy institute, will ensure that the newly established Chair provides fresh impetus for the political, economic, and business development of South East Europe,” said Chair benefactor Dr. Lavrentis Lavrentiadis.  “Greece and its neighbors can help promote the entire region as a secure part of the Euro-Atlantic community."

The Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair in Southeast European Studies will serve a leading role in advancing the international policy discourse at CSIS and among its external constituencies in Washington, DC, including the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government and the U.S. policy, academic, NGO, and business communities.

The CSIS Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair in Southeast European Studies will:

• Strengthen U.S.-Southeast European relations by providing the Washington community with a greater understanding of the region.

• Enhance the scope and impact of the CSIS New European Democracies/Europe program.

• Educate the Washington policymaking and European diplomatic community on issues impacting the region through a range of public events and publications.

• Generate recommendations for U.S. policy toward the Southeast European region.

Inaugural chair holder Janusz Bugajski also serves as the director of the CSIS New European Democracies Project and as a senior fellow with the CSIS Europe Program. Previously, he served as a senior research analyst for Radio Free Europe in Munich.  He is one of Washington’s foremost Balkan experts, and has served as a consultant on Central-East Europe for several U.S. government agencies and private institutions.  He has authored fourteen books and numerous articles in leading journals and newspapers in the U.S. and Europe, chairs the South Central Europe program at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, and has testified before various congressional committees.

Chair benefactor Dr. Lavrentis Lavrentiadis is the founder of several companies with an extensive presence in the Eastern European market.  His companies operate in diverse fields such as chemicals, detergents, food and drink, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and real estate.  He is committed to the stabilization and development of the Southeast European region.

"The Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair will become a leading source for independent analysis of Southeast Europe and U.S. policy toward this dynamic and diverse region," said CSIS President and CEO Dr. John J. Hamre.

For more information about the Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair please contact Janusz Bugajski, Jbugajski@csis.org (202) 775-3262 or Andrew Schwartz, aschwartz@csis.org (202) 775-3242.

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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1962 and headquartered in Washington, D.C.  It seeks to advance global security and prosperity by providing strategic insights and policy solutions to decision makers.