Newsletter - Social Science in Eastern Europe 2001- 2
CZECH REPUBLIC
Liberalni Institut
Spalena 51
11000 Prague 1
Tel.: +4202 296060
Fax: +4202 291710
E-mail: info@libinst.cz
Internet: http://www.libinst.cz/english/home.htm
Management: Schwarz, Jiri (president); Sevcik, Miroslav (director)
Year of foundation: 1990
Historical development: It was founded by the leaders of the F.A.
Hayek Liberal Association, an organization of young teachers of economics and
philosophy that came into being the earliest days of the "Velvet"
Revolution in order to support the forthcoming social changes.
Research: The research activity of the Liberal Institute is concerned
not only with the transformation of the Czech society at the macroeconomic
level, but also with the analysis of similar processes in other countries which
have suffered from totalitarism based on centrally planned or command economies.
The Institute monitors the current situation and development trends in these
countries. Gradually as the transformation of society and economy progresses,
more and more attention is being paid to the microeconomic sphere: development
of the private sector, privatisation problems, and capital markets. Such
orientation creates an urgent need to exceed the limits of economic research and
become concerned with public policy: legislation, government regulation, and
government efficiency.
Financing: The institute is financed from its varios activities, and
by donations from individuals and private organizations.
Main fields: The Liberal Institute is an independent, nonprofit
organization for the devopment and application of liberal ideas and programs
based on the principles of classical liberalism. The current projects include:
* Competition in the Electric Power Industry
* Gas Industry Deregulation
* Competition within Railway Transportation
* Free Market Approach to Environmental Protection
* Index of Economic Freedom
* Pension System reform
* Introducing Competition into telecommunications
Publications/ papers: Many of the Institute's publications were
presented at regularly scheduled discussion forums, such as: "Economics in
One Lesson" (Henry Hazlitt), "The Evolution of Economic Thought"
(Robert Holman), "Money Mischief" (Milton Friedman).
Teaching: The Institute inaugurated its annual lecture series in 1995.
These lectures are given by renowned representative of scientific, economic or
political life.
Events: The Liberal Institute, in cooperation with foreign institutes
and universities, regularly organizes conferences and seminars to which
prominent scholars, politicians or entrepreneurs are invited.
Co-operations: The Institute is part of following networks: 3-E-Net
(The Network of Emerging European Economics), Economic Freedom Network, Freeman
Discussion Clubs network, NGONet, Education in Liberty
Gorkeho 7
60200 Brno Tel./Fax: +4205 41615277
E-mail: mpu@fss.muni.cz
Internet: http://www.iips.cz
Management: Fiala, Peter Prof. (head)
Year of foundation: 1990
Organization: The International Institute for Political Studies of the
Masaryk University in Brno is an autonomous research organisation.
Departments:
* The Department of Studies on European integration is primarily
focused on the development, structure and activities of the European Union. In
the areas of foreign policy and security policy, it concentrates on the study of
the creation and development of the EU, relationships between the EU and NATO,
and the position of the WEU. In addition, it ensures the organisation of partial
projects connected with the process of European integration (specifically, the
projects "Czech-German Relations" and "Czech-Austrian
Relations").
* The Department of Central and Eastern Europe is engaged in the study
of the post-communist states and some specific countries that emerged after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union. In terms of comparative political science it
follows and analyses the degree of the societal and economic transformations,
the institutional structures, and the success or failure of the particular
countries adaptation to democratic and free-market mechanisms. In the research
of the foreign policies and security policies resulting from the post-communist
changes, it focuses on the analysis of the Central-European Initiative (CEI),
the Central-European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), the Partnership for Peace
(PfP), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Moreover, the
department works on some partial projects ("Czech-Slovak Relations",
"Czech-Polish Relations, "Baltic States", etc.)
* The Student Department, headed by the director of the Institute, was
incorporated into the structure of the Institute in June 1998. Its primary aim
is the support of the scientific activities pursued by students of social
sciences. This support is offered through lectures, research seminars, and the
lecture cycles, and forms a platform to promote a young, scientific generation.
Main fields: The institute is focused on the study of the political,
social, economical, and legal developments within society. As an
interdisciplinary institution of the university, it contributes through its
activities to the cultivation and advancement of different fields in the social
sciences and to their accessibility for both professionals and the general
public.
Publications/ papers: International Institute for Political Studies
issues Working Papers (serie), monographs, collections and three periodical
titles:
* "Politika v Česke republice" ("Politics in the Czech
Republic"), is published every two months, it monitors political activities
in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1997, it continues in the tradition of the
magazine "The Building of the State", which was first published in
1990. "Politics in the Czech Republic" follows various activities
within Czech society, and acquaints the general public with developments in the
parliamentary system and party politics, in economic and foreign policies, and
with important documents.
* The quarterly "Politologick[yacute] časopis" ("Political
Science Review"), is published since 1993. It is the first title in the
field of political science published in the Czech Republic that is
scientifically reviewed. Among its contributors are scholars specialising in the
social sciences, not only from the Czech Republic, but also from abroad.
* The quarterly "Středoevropske politicke studie" ("Central
European Political Studies - Review") was founded in 1999 as an internet
magazine. Its printed version which is published annually, offers a selection of
the most interesting texts of the volume. The articles are published in their
original languages - Czech, English, and German. (http://www.iips.cz/seps.html)
Events: Conferences in 2000 were:
* "The National Minorities and Minority-Policy in the Czech
Republic" (May 2000)
* "The Structural Funds of the European Union" (June 2000)
* "The First Statewide Congress of Political Scientists in the Czech
Republic" (September 2000)
Co-operations: The institute cooperates with organizations with a
similar orientation, including: Institute of International Relations, Prague;
French Institute for Social Science Research, Prague; Centre for Political
Thought, Poland; Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences,
Poland; Institute of Central - Eastern Europe, Poland; Slovak Society for
Foreign Politics, Slovakia. The main partners of the Institute are: Konrad
Adenauer Stiftung, Germany; Stichting Het Parool, Holland; Stichting Willem
Drees Lezing, Holland.
Dobroslav Matějka (Ed.). 2000. Czech Republic after the Admission to NATO
Prague: Inst. of International Relations, 84 p. (in Czech)
The seventh collection published in cooperation with the Czech Atlantic
Commission. Coming out a year after both the entrance of the Czech Republic to
NATO and the start of the military operations against the Milosevic regime, it
brings several interesting essays to the subject matter. Hanousek, H.; Munich,
D. 2000.Czech Republic 2000: Quo Vadis?
Prague: Charles University, CERGE
This booklet discusses the economic potential of the Czech Republic in the
21st century by analyzing topics as Political Transformation, Macroeconomy,
Microeconomy, Work and Pay, Ecology, and EU Accession. The booklet is available
free of charge as a PDF file: http://www.cerge.cuni.cz/publications/books/
Jindra [Sinvcircumflex]ebestova. 2000. NATO. The Alliance for the 21st
Century. Prague: Institute of International Relations, 28 p. (in Czech) One
of the major successes of Czech foreign policy after 1989 was the country's
entrance into NATO. Together with Hungary and Poland, we are now getting used to
our new position of the state in the Alliance which is bringing us both firm
security guarantees and new tasks and obligations. The guidebook aims at
submitting basic information on the nature of NATO, its history and working. The
publication also contains the text of Article 51 of the Charter of the United
Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty.
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