GMF Announces 2019 Class of Rethink.CEE Fellows
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is pleased to announce its 2019 class of Rethink.CEE Fellows. This fellowship program, launched last year, responds to current and coming challenges facing Central and Eastern European democracy, security, and transatlantic integration. The Rethink.CEE Fellowship is designed to support young policy experts, analysts, and activists from the region, and to enable them to undertake original policy research that can inform regional, European, and transatlantic policies. For this purpose, fellows will join GMF on a non-residence basis for the coming year and benefit from the full array of intellectual and organizational resources of this transatlantic policy institute.
After a highly competitive selection procedure, the following 11 fellows and research projects were selected for the 2019 Rethink.CEE Fellowship.
- Jan Jakub Chromiec, Poland: How to Boost Party-Political Engagement in Central and Eastern Europe?
- Bogdana Depo, Ukraine: From Solid E-Governance to Stronger Democracies in the Eastern Partnership
- Luka Glusac, Serbia: Strengthening the Rule of Law in Central and Eastern Europe through Ombudsmen
- Pavel Havlicek, Czech Republic: Supporting Civil Society—Lessons Learned from the EU´s External Instruments
- Aliaksandr Herasimenka, Belarus: Pro-Democracy Advocacy on Digital Platforms
- Matej Kandrik, Slovakia: Paramilitarism and Voluntary Civic Participation in the Defense Sector
- Veranika Laputska, Belarus: Digital Influencers and Their Sociopolitical Impact in Central and Eastern Europe
- Dijana Mitrovic, Montenegro: Parliamentary Diplomacy in the Western Balkans
- Nataliya Novakova, Ukraine: Sustaining Civil Society in Central Europe—Current Threats and Ways Forward
- Anca Oprisor Florian, Romania: Reviving Democracy from the Bottom Up: The Role of Local Civil Society Organizations
- Zsuzanna Vegh, Hungary: Countering Radical Right and Nationalist Influences on EU External Relations
On these diverse challenges, Rethink.CEE Fellows will produce policy publications over the coming months and present them to regional and transatlantic decision-makers, experts, and publics.
“GMF is excited to welcome this new group of Rethink.CEE Fellows to its growing transatlantic network,” says GMF President Karen Donfried. “These new fellows will help us focus greater attention on and deepen our understanding of Central and Eastern Europe, a region so critical to transatlantic security, cooperation, and democracy. The Rethink.CEE Fellowship is an important part of our long-standing efforts to support next-generation leadership and civil society in Europe’s East.”