(Posted November 3, 2003)


HUNTINGDON, Pa. --Sociologist and senior research fellow at the Institute of Political Science at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Ferenc Miszlivetz, will speak at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11 in Neff Lecture Hall at the von Liebig Center for Science on the Juniata College campus.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Miszlivetz?s talk, entitled ?The Future of Euro-Atlantic Relations,? will explore the international journey for peace by contrasting Europe?s multilateralism methods of overcoming historical conflicts and the Bush administration?s unilateral approach.

Miszlivetz studied history, sociology, and economics at Karl Marx University of Economics. After graduation in 1978, he went on to receive his doctorate in 1983.

In the 1980s, Miszlivetz worked alongside Mary Kaldor at the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Sussex on scenarios dealing with the East-West conflict, the arms race, the emerging social movements, and civil society in the Soviet Union. Also, during this time he became a leading figure in the democratic opposition movement and a frequent lecturer to students and civil society organizations in Hungary.

After helping set up the Network of Free Initiatives, one of the first independent political organizations in Hungary that worked to bring East and West dissidents together with Western alternative democratic movements, Miszlivetz mentored and supported the Young Democrats (FIDESZ).

Miszlivetz then founded the Center for European Studies, which established the Institute for Social and European Studies (ISES). He was named a Jean Monnet Professor in 1997 and created the first interdisciplinary university program, International and European Studies, in Hungary.

Miszlivetz is considered to be one of Europe?s leading intellectuals and theorists of civil society.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.