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Guest Speakers

Since its creation, CERIS has welcomed prestigious personalities from the world’s academia and politics…

Since its creation, CERIS has welcomed to its podium prestigious personalities from the world’s academia and politics, such as the member of French Academy, Pr. Thierry de Montbrial (October 1989); the architect of the Prague Spring, Mr. Alexander Dubcek (November 1990); former Romanian Prime Minister, Mr. Petre Roman (October 1991); the member of French Academy Pr. Hélène Carrere d’Encausse (October 1993); H.E. Mr. Paul Kagame (December 1994), then Rwanda’s Vice President whose first visit out of Africa was dedicated to Ceris; Mr. Bronislaw Geremek (February 1996), who became Poland’s Foreign Minister; prosecutor for the International Courts of former Yuglosavia and Rwanda, Mrs. Louise Arbour (January 1998); Mr. Javier Solana (October 1998), then the Secretary General for NATO; Mr. Réginald Moreels (Octobre 2000), former belgian Minister of International Cooperation; European Commissioner Mr. Erkki Liikanen  (March 2002); former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and daughter of the state’s founder, H.E. Mrs. Sheikh Hassina (October 2002); President of the Ivory Coast’s Workers’ Party and Ivorian League of the Human Rights, Mr. Françis Wodié (May 2003); Mr. Robert Cooper (June 2004), Director for External Politico-Military Affairs to the Secretary General of the European Union Council; H.E. Mr. Ion Iliescu (October 2006), the former Romanian President; Mr. Robert Kagan (October 2007), senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; H.E. Mr. Dimitri Rogozin (2008), Russian ambassador to NATO; Pr. Riccardo Petrella (2008) Figurehead of the anti-globalization movement; Pr. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele (2009),  Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and with IPCC Nobel Peace Prize 2007; Mr. Charles Michel (2009), Former Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation, Belgian Prime Minister and now President of the European Council; Pr. Jan Pronk (2010) former Netherlands Minister of Development Cooperation & Environment and Special Representative of the Security General of the UN in Sudan; H.E. Mr. Srgjan Asan Kerim (2010) former President of the United Nations General Assemnly; H.E. Mr. Sylvestre Ntibantuganya (2010), the former President of Burundi; Mr. Steven Vanackere (October 2011) Vice -Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium; H.E. Mr. François de Kerchove d’Exaerde (November 2012) Head of the Private Office of the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. André Flahaut (May 2013) President of the Belgian House of Representatives & Former Minister of Defence; Mr. Jorge Viana & Mr. Luiz Henrique (May 2013) Brazilian Federal Senators; H. E. Mr. Ihor Dolhov (May 2014) Ambassador Extrodinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Belgium, Luxembourg and Nato; Dr. Christiane Höhn (May 2015) Adviser to the European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union; Ambassador at the Permanent representation of Belgium to Nato H.E. Mr. François de Kerchove & Mr. Gilles de Kerchove (May 2016) EU Counter Terrorism Coordinator at the General Secretariat of the Council of European Union; Mr. Najim El Hadj Mohamed (May 2017) permanent Secretary of G5-Sahel; Mr. Stefano Manservisi (June 2018) Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development – DEVCO; Pr. Dominique Moïsi (October 2018) is one of co-founders of the Paris-based “Institut Français des Relations Internationales” IFRI; H.E Mr. Hector Marcelo Cima (May 2019) Ambassador of Argentina to European Union; Mr. Christos Stylianides (June 2019) is the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management; H.E. Mr. Alexander Tokovinin (February 2020) Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Belgium; Pr. Ian Goldin (October 2020) Director of the Oxford Martin School, Oxford University; H.E. Mr. Eduardo José A. de Vega (April 2021)  Ambassador of Philippine to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU;  H.E Mrs. Hirut Zemene (May 2021) Ambassador of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU; Mr. Pascal Smet (October 2021) Secretary of State of the Brussels-Capital Region for European and International Relations; H.E. Mr. Zaheer Aslam Janjua (October 2021) Ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU; H.E. Mr. Dieudonné Rugambwa Sebashongore (May 2022) Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU Institutions; H.E. Mr. Herman De Croo (October 2022) Minister of State, Honorary Speaker of the House, Former Minister, Deputy and Mayor; Dr. Pascal Boniface (October 2022) founding Director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs – IRIS; H.E. Mr. Hüseyin Diriöz (October 2022) former Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Turkey, Former Assistant Secretary General of NATO and Honorary Turkish ambassador to Moscow, Jordan and Brazil; Mr. François Heisbourg (October 2023) Senior Adviser for Europe for the London-based “International Institute for Strategic Studies” – IISS, as well as Special Adviser for the Paris-based “Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique” – FRS; H.E. Mr. Rafał Siemianowski (October 2023) Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Kingdom of Belgium; H.E. Mr. Fu Cong (October 2023) Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Head of Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union. Ceris is very proud to underline that both Mr. Reginald Moreels & Mr. Erkki Liikanen have attended the Master of Arts in international politics in the early nineties and a significant number of ambassadors and diplomats around the world.

Pr. Thierry de Montbrial is a doctor in economics from the University of Berkley. He founded a department of Economics in the Ecole Polytechnique of Paris. In the 1970s the French government entrusted him with the creation of a Policy Planning Staff within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organism whose direction he insured for several years. He is the founder in 1979 and he currently presides the  French Institute of International Relations – IFRI, which publishes the annual report Ramses. He is a member of several academic committees and centers all around the world like the Advisory Committee of the Peterson Institute for International Economics or the Carnegie Moscow Center. He is elected in 1992 at the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences . Mr. Thierry de Montbrial delivered a lecture at CERIS on October 1989.

Mr. Alexander Dubeck is prominent figure in 1968 of “The Prague Spring”, he was a Slovak politician that tried to reform the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. He’s ambition was to give socialism a human face, and he sought this goal by giving more liberties to the citizens. In the late 60s he held the position of Secretary of the Czechoslovakian Communist Party for a short period of time. From this position he was able to put in practice reforms meant to liberalize the Communist regime. His efforts were crushed by a Soviet-led intervention. After the overthrowing of the communist regime he supported the democratization process in Czechoslovakia and became the Chairman of Czecho-Slovak Federal Assembly as leader of the Social Democratic party of Slovakia. Mr. Alexander Dubeck delivered a lecture at CERIS on November 1990.

Mr. Petre Roman is a Romanian politician that held key positions in the post-communist Romanian governments. He was the first Romanian prime-minister after the end of the communist rule. Subsequently, he became chairman of the Defence Committee within the Chamber of Deputies, and afterwards president of the Senate. In 1999 he was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of prime-minister Mugur Isarescu. He is also a former Special Rapporteur to the North Atlantic Assembly and a former President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. Mr. Roman is the founder of the Romanian political party Democratic Force. Mr. Petre Roman delivered a lecture at CERIS on October 1991.

Pr. Hélène Carrère d’Encausse: Permanent Secretary of the French Academy since 1999,  she is a historian specializing in Russian history. She is best known as the author of the book “L’Empire éclaté” that brought her media fame. In the book she tried to demonstrate, as early as 1978, the imminent end of the Soviet Union. Descendant of a family of Russian aristocrats she rejoiced a predisposition for history and political science. After graduating the elite Institute of Political Studies of Paris she taught these two subjects first at the University of Sorbonne and then at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris. In 1990 she was elected a member of the French Academy. She is a prolific writer and the author of several biographies including the biography of Lenin. Pr. Hélène Carrère d’Encausse delivered a lecture at CERIS on October 1993.

H.E Mr. Paul Kagame is Rwanda’s president since March 2000. The people of Rwanda have elected him three times over the last decade in the hope that he will lead them on the path of development. Kagame’s political career started in Uganda where he helped the current Ugandan president to liberate the country from an oppressive regime. Back in Rwanda he rose as a political leader at the head of the political party the Rwandan Patriotic Front – FPR. In the aftermath of the genocide he became a member of the cabinet of president Bizimungu and in the later half of the 90s he occupied key positions in the government: vice-president and Defense Minister. He is seen as a public advocate for new models for foreign aid that will help recipient countries become self-sufficient. H.E. Mr. Paul Kagame delivered a lecture at CERIS on December 1994.

Mr. Bronislaw Geremek: Polish historian and politician, he was a remarkable European that contributed to the democratization of Poland and to its integration in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and in the European Union. During the communist period, in the early 80s, he was one of the key advisers to Lech Walesa’s Solidarność. Bronislaw Geremek played a crucial role as he managed to find a formula to obtain the consent of the communist leaders for free parliamentary elections. In 1997 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, position that allowed him to negotiate Poland’s treaty of accession to NATO and to push its country towards European integration. After Poland’s accession to the EU his career took a European turn as he was elected as member of the European Parliament. Mr. Bronislaw Geremek delivered a lecture at CERIS on February 1996.

Mrs. Louise Arbour: is a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, she has made a brilliant career in the field of justice and human rights. She started off with a fruitful academic experience but later on she was appointed as judge by the state of Canada to the Supreme Court of Canada and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. In the mid-90s she was appointed as Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda. From this position she indicted political personalities such as Slobodan Milošević or Milan Milutinović. At the moment she holds the position of President and CEO of the International Crisis Group. Madam Arbour is dedicated to the respect and advancement of human rights all around the world. Mrs. Louise Arbour delivered a lecture at CERIS on January 1998.

Mr. Javier Solana: one of EU’s most prominent figures in the last decade, the former High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy was also an important player on the Spanish political scene. Doctor in physics, Javier Solana turned away from science towards politics and climbed the Spanish political ladder from member of the Parliament in 1977 to Cabinet Minister starting with December 1982. In the 90s his career turned international when he was appointed Secretary General of NATO. Subsequently he was named Secretary General of the Council of the EU, function that was be merged with the position of High Representative, in the pursuit to give the EU a face. Solana is acknowledged for his diplomatic and efficient methods of negotiation and for his abilities to build consensus. Mr. Javier Solana delivered a lecture at CERIS on October 1998.

Mr. Réginald Moreels: currently a representative to the region of the Great Lakes in Africa,  is best known as the former Secretary of State  and former Minister of international cooperation for the Belgium. He is the founder & the former president of “Médecin sans frontière-Belgium“. He is concerned mainly by problems linked to the prevention and management of conflicts like peace-building and peace-keeping. He is also a former participant to the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe. In parallel with his humanitarian activities he is a visiting professor to the University Ghent and to the UN Centre for Peace and Disarmament. Mr. Moreels is also a graduate of the Master of Arts in International Politics at CERIS. Mr. Réginald Moreels delivered a lecture at CERIS on October 2000.

Erkki Liikanen, a graduate of the Master of Arts in International Politics at CERIS, was the first Finnish ambassador to the European Union and the first Finnish member of the European Commission, after Finland joined the EU. He was elected as a Member of the Finnish Parliament when he was only twenty-one years old. Liikanen experienced a steady rise in Finnish politics both within its political party where he took the position of Secretary General of the Finnish Social Democratic Party, and in the Finish government where he was appointed Minister of Finance. Currently he is the Governor of the Bank of Finland and member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank, as well as Governor of the International Monetary Fund for Finland. Mr. Erkki Liikanen delivered a lecture at CERIS on March 2002.

H.E. Mrs. Sheikh Hassina is the daughter of the founder of Banglades. A fervent political activist ever since her college and student years, Hassima has experienced a tumultuous political life. Elected chief of the Student’s Union of Eden Girls College she actively participated to the 1969 upsurge. After the murdering of her parents and siblings, she was forced into exile where she became the leader of the political party Awami League. On her return she pledged to fight for democracy and for the rights of the people. In the 90s Bangladesh returned to democracy and Hassima was first leader of the opposition and then prime minister. Her latest goal is to transform Bangladesh into a digital nation. She is also a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. H.E. Mrs. Sheikh Hassina delivered a lecture at CERIS on October 2002.

Mr. Françis Wodié is an Ivorian politician and a former Minister of Higher Education. He completed his superior studies in France where he became actively implicated in politics by joining the Federation of Students from Black Africa in France (FEANF). Upon his return to the Ivory Coast, he suffered political persecution that forced him into exile. In 1966 he started his career as a Professor of Law at the University of Abidjan. Later he became the dean of the faculty of law at this University. He is one of thefounders of SYNARES (National Union for Research and Higher Education) and of the Ivorian League of Human Rights. In 1990 he is elected as the leader of the Ivorian Worker’s Party. At the moment Wodié is one of the candidates for the Ivorian presidency. Mr. Françis Wodié delivered a lecture at CERIS on May 2003.

Mr. Robert Cooper is the author of The Post-Modern State (2002), and implicitly of the doctrine of “new liberal imperialism” that influenced Tony Blair’s thoughts,  he is a former Director-General at the Council of the EU. He joined the Diplomatic service of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1970. He worked mainly at the British embassies of Bonn and Tokyo before being nominated as Head of the Policy Planning Staff. Afterwards he was Deputy Secretary for Defence and Overseas Affairs. Before entering the Council of the EU he was the UK’s Special Representative in Afghanistan. Cooper is currently a member of the steering committee in charge of drafting Catherine Ashton’s proposals for the structure of EU’s European External Action Service. Mr. Robert Cooper delivered a lecture at CERIS on June 2004.

H.E. Mr. Ion Iliescu is a Romanian politician who served twice as president of Romania (1990–96; 2000–04). He was Romania’s first post-communist president after the revolution of 1989 in which he played a leading role. He was formerly a protégé of Nicolae Ceausescu but gradually fell from grace two decades before the fall of the regime as he was perceived as a threat by the dictator. After the revolution he emerged as leader of the newly created National Salvation Front, the organization that seized power. He remained at the head of this political organization that turned into Romania’s Social Democratic Party. During his term as a president Romania became a member of the Northern Atlantic Organization and started its accession negotiations to the EU. H.E. Mr. Ion Iliescu delivered a lecture at CERIS on “Romania’s accession to the EU : possible trends for the future” on Tuesday October 10th, 2006.

Mr. Robert Kagan is a Yale and Harvard graduate,  he is best-known as the author of the international bestseller Of Paradise and Power. Kagan started his career as a foreign policy adviser to American politician Jack Kemp. He then joined the State Department Policy Planning Staff and subsequently the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs. He was also the policy adviser of John McCain, Obama’s main opponent during the 2008 US elections. He is a columnist for the Washington Post and a contributing editor at both The New Republic and Weekly Standard. Considered as one of the leading neo-conservatives in the US, Kagan is a member of the Council on Foreign Relation and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. Robert Kagan delivered a lecture at CERIS on “The Return of History and The End of Dreams” on Thursday October 18th, 2007. Discussion introduced by Simon Lunn (Secretary General of NATO Parliamentary Assembly).

H.E. Mr. Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin is a Russian diplomat, appointed in 2008 as Russia’s ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He was one of the founders of the Congress of Russian Communities. In the early 90s, Rogozin exerted the function of president of the Association of Young Political Leaders of the Soviet Union, after which he was appointed in the Russian Duma. He was for a brief period the vice-speaker of the Duma. Subsequently he rose to hold the leadership of Russian nationalist party Rodina (Motherland) party. In parallel he worked as the president’s special envoy in dealing with relations between the EU and the Kaliningrad exclave. He is also very popular as a writer in Russia, where his books were bestsellers. Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin currently holding de position of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. H.E. Mr. Dmitry Rogozin delivered a lecturer at CERIS on “La Russie et l’Occident : L’OTAN et l’Union Européenne” on Tuesday October 21st, 2008.

Professor Riccardo Petrella is the Initiator and former president of the Lisbon Group,  is an Italian political analyst and economist. Currently a regular teacher at the Catholic University of Louvain-La-Neuve and at the Europa College Bruges, he has taught in many universities around the world. Mr. Petrella worked for the European Commission as supervisor of the FAST-programme (Forecasting and Assessment in Science and Technology). Before that he was secretary-general of the Italian committee for the development of social sciences and director of the European Center for Research in Social Sciences of UNESCO in Vienna. In the 90s he published a trilogy, the last book being Water Manifesto, that defends the universal rights to access water sources. Professor Riccardo Petrella delivered a lecture at CERIS on “The Global economic system in Crisis : the traps of Globalization” on Thursday October 9th, 2008.

H.E Mr. Charles Michel is a Belgian lawyer and politician. He became Minister for Development Cooperation in the Belgian government (2007-2011). He is also “Bourgmestre en titre” of the city of  Wavre. Mr. Michel graduated the ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles) with a degree in law. Following his graduation he was accepted at the Brussels Bar as a lawyer. In October 2000 he was named Minister for Home Affairs and the Civil Service by the Wallonian community. Subsequently he was elected as member of the Belgian federal parliament. In February 2011 Charles Michel became President of his Party, the MR “Mouvement Réformateur”. He became Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium (2014-2019), he is currently holding  the position of President of the European Council. H.E. Mr. Charles Michel delivered a lecture on “Les Nouvelles perspectives de la coopération au développement” at CERIS on Friday May 23th, 2008. Introduced lecture by Dirk Beeusaert (SUEZ Executive Vice President, in charge of SUEZ Energy International) on “Access to Energy, a competitive advantage the world stage”

Professor Jean-Pascal van Ypersele is a Scientific adviser to the United Nations conferences on climate issues,  he is a Belgian scientist specializing in modeling climate and the climate effects of human activities. He is a Professor at the UCL (Université Catholique de Louvain-La-Neuve) where he teaches climatology and environmental sciences and directs the Master programme in Science and Management of the Environment. He is also Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a member of the Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development. He received several prizes: “Energy and environment award” by the International Polar Foundation, the “Francqui Chair” from the ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles) & with IPCC the Nobel Peace Prize 2007. Professor Jean-Pascal van Ypersele delivered a lecture at CERIS on “Climate Change : double injustice for Developing Countries” on Thursday January 15th, 2009.

Mr. Jan Pronk is a familiar name in Dutch politics as well as in UN circles. He studied Economics at the Rotterdam School of Economics obtaining a Master of Economics degree and worked as a researcher at his alma mater and the Economics Institute from July 1960 until May 1971 and was also was active as a political activist in the New Left movement. A politician and diplomat, Jan Pronk has served four terms as a Minister in the Dutch government, particularly in the field of Development Cooperation before turning towards the international scene and the United Nations. With a previous experience in the international organization in 1985 when he held the position of Assistant UN Secretary General, he was named in 2002 UN Special envoy to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Tokyo. Two years later UN Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed him as the first UN Special Representative for Sudan. He holds at this time the position of Professor of Theory and Practice of International Development at the International Institute of Social The Hague. Mr Jan Pronk delivered a lecture on “Development and Peace: lesson from experience” at CERIS on October 2009. [read more]

H.E. Mr. Sylvestre Ntibantunganya is a former president of Burundi. He was elected by the National Assembly after the assassination of president Ndadaye, leader of the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) that had won the elections in 1993. Formerly Ntibantunganya was a speaker of the National Assembly of Burundi appointed in 1993. The same year he served briefly as Foreign Minister. During his term the national security situation deteriorated due to a significant influx of Rwandan refugees and to constant tensions between the two main “pseudo-ethnic” groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi. As a consequence he was overthrown from power by a Tutsi intervention. At the present, Ntibantunganya is a Senator for life as all Burundi former Heads of State. His Excellency Mr. Sylvestre Ntibantunganya delivered a Lecture at CERIS on “The Governance and Development Challenges in the Great Lakes Region: the case of Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo” on Friday June 11th, 2010.

H.E. Mr. Srgjan Asan Kerim is a Macedonian diplomat. In 1971, Kerim graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics and in 1982 he was granted a Ph.D. in economic scienceand. He is former President of the United Nations General Assembly, his term of office began on September 18, 2007 and ended on September 16, 2008. Previously, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia in 2000 and 2001, then acted as the Macedonian ambassador to the United Nations from 2001 to 2003. His Ecxellency Mr. Srgjan Kerim delivered a lecture at CERIS on “The Role of the UN General Assembly and its President in conflict prevention and solution” on October 2010. Discussion introduced by his excellency Michel Adam (Honorary Ambassador & President of Association pour les Nations Unies-APNUUnited Nations Association). 

 

Mr. Steven Vanackere is a Belgian politician and member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). He is Federal Deputy Prime Minister continuously since 2008: Successively Public Service, Public Enterprises and Institutional Reforms in the Van Rompuy government (2008-2009), He held the portfolios of Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reform in the Leterme II government (2009-2011) and Finance and Sustainable Development, in charge of the Civil Service in the Di Rupo government since 2011. Mr. Steven Vanackere delivered a lecture at CERIS on “Geostrategic Challenges : Managing the Old while Preparing for the New” on Friday October 7th, 2011.

His Excellency Mr. François de Kerchove d’Exaerde started his diplomatic career in 1989 and held consecutive posts in Kuwait City, Tokyo, Osaka and Berlin. In Belgium, he was responsible for the Afghanistan and Pakistan dossiers, before becoming Director of the Royal Institute for International Relations (Egmont). He then became Deputy Director for Security Policy, after which he took over the management of the department. He has served as Belgian Ambassador in the European Union’s Political and Security Committee (PSC) since June 2011. He became Director of the Private Office of the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs (Déc 2011). H.E. François de Kerchove d’Exaerde is Currently Ambassador at the Permanent representation of Belgium to Nato since 2014. His Excellency Mr. François de Kerchove d’Exaerde delivered a lecture at CERIS on “Views of Belgium on the current large International crisis” on Sunday 6th November, 2012.

Mr. Luiz Henrique da Silveira is a Brazilian politician and lawyer. He has represented Santa Catarina in the Federal Senate since 2011. He was governor of Santa Catarina from 2003 to 2006 and 2007 to 2010. He is a member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party. Mr. Luiz Henrique da Silveira delivered a lecture at CERIS on “How to reconcile Food Security, Environmental preservation and the interests of agriculture” on Monday 6th May, 2013.
Mr. Jorge Macedo Ney Viana Neves is a Brazilian politician, currently governor of the state of Acre. He was elected to first term in 1998 and re-elected in 2002, with 64% of votes (the best results of all Brazilian states). Mr. Jorge Macedo Ney Viana Neves  delivered a lecture at CERIS on “The Brazilian experience on environmental sustainability : the case of the new Brazilian Forest Law” on Monday May 6th, 2013.

Mr. André Flahaut joined the Belgian Socialist Party in 1973. From 1989 to 1995 he served in various posts in the administration of Walloon Brabant. He has served in the local council of Walhain, in the provincial council of Walloon Brabant and as deputy governor of Walloon Brabant. From 1995 he served as Minister for the Civil Service in the second government of Jean-Luc Dehaene. Since 12 July 1999 he has served as Minister of Defence in both governments of Guy Verhofstadt, Verhofstadt I (1999–2003) and Verhofstadt II (2003–2007). From 20 July 2010 to 30 June 2014 he was President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. André Flahaut is the current Minister of Budget in the Government of the French Community (Federation Wallonia-Brussels). André Flahaut is Minister of State since 7 December 2009 and Commander of the Order of Leopold Since 2015. Mr. André Flahaut delivered a lecture at CERIS on “L’Union face à la crise financière, une question de légitimité démocratique ?” on Friday May 23th, 2013.

His Excellency Mr. Ihor Dolhov is Deputy Head of the Department of Political Analysis and Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (1997-2000), Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for Foreign Policy (2000-2001), Director of the Department for Policy and Security – Head of the Directorate for Political Analysis and Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2001-2002), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in the Republic of Turkey (2002-2004), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2004-2006), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in the Federal Republic of Germany (2006-2008), Head of the Main Directorate for Foreign Policy, Secretariat of President of Ukraine (2008-2009), Ambassador at Large of the Department for Information Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2009-2010), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Belgium, Luxemburg and NATO since 2010. H. E. Mr. Ihor Dolhov delivered a lecture on “Ukraine : a chance for people of Ukraine, a challenge for the Global Security” at CERIS on Friday May 23th, 2014.

Dr. Christiane Höhn is an adviser to the European Union Counter-terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, covering a broad range of counter-terrorism issues. She joined the Council of the European Union in 2004. In her previous assignment, she worked on non-proliferation and disarmament. From 2004 to 2009, she was an Administrator Transatlantic Relations, working on EU-US and EU-Canada relations as well as on issues relating to counter-terrorism and international human rights and humanitarian law. She holds the German State Examinations in law, an LL.M. (Harvard Law School) and a Ph.D. in international law (Heidelberg University). Ms Höhn also studied at the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva and Passau University. Prior to joining the EU in 2004, she was a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for International Law in Heidelberg and an Affiliate at the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School, where she worked on leadership development. Dr. Christiane Höhn delivered a lecture at CERIS on “Terrorism & Security concerns in Global & Regional Context” on Friday May 22nd, 2015.

Mr. Gilles de Kerchove is the Coordinator of the EU Counter Terrorism at the General Secretariat of the Council of European Union since 2007. Former Director of Justice and Home Affairs (HJA) in the Council Secretariat of the European Union from 1995 to 2007.
H.E. Mr. François de Kerchove is Ambassador at the Permanent representation of Belgium to Nato since 2014. Former Director of the Private Office of the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs (Déc 2011). He has served as Belgian Ambassador in the European Union’s Political and Security Committee (PSC) since June 2011.
Mr. Gilles de Kerchove & H. E. Mr. François de Kerchove delivered a lecture at CERIS on “Terrorism and Security concerns in the Transatlantic and European Context” on Friday May 27th, 2016.

 

Mr. Stefano Manservisi is the Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO). Mr. Stefano Manservisi previously served as Head of Cabinet of the High Representative / Vice-President Federica Mogherini. He has over 30 years of experience in the Commission, including six years as Director-General of the Department for Development and Relations with Africa, Caribbean, Pacific countries and four years leading the department for Migration and Home Affairs. He also worked in the field as Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey. Mr Manservisi has taught at the University of Bologna, University of Roma III and the College of Europe. Mr. Stefano Manservisi delivered a lecture at CERIS on “New Orientation in European Development Policy” on Friday June 29th, 2018.

Professor Dominique Moïsi is one of the major world political scientists. He is one of the co-founders of the Paris-based “Institut Français des Relations Internationales”(IFRI) where he acts as a senior advisor. He was also the Pierre Keller Visiting Professor at Harvard University, and the chairholder for Geopolitics at the College of Europe, the oldest educational institution in European affairs. Professor Moïsi is a fellow of the CEDEP, the European Centre for Executive Development. He has lectured at Sciences Po Paris, King’s College London and he is currently Special Advisor to the Institut Montaigne Paris. Professor Moïsi regularly contributes op-ed articles and essays for the Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, the Project Syndicate as well as Die Welt and Der Standard. Professor Dominique Moïsi delivered the lecture at CERIS in International Relations on “The New World Disorder” on Wednesday October 17th, 2018.

H.E. Mr. Hector Marcelo Cima, is an Argentinian career diplomat. Member of the Argentine Foreign Service since 1985, His Excellency Hector Marcelo Cima has been appointed Ambassador to the European Union in April 2018. Previously, between 2016 and 2018, he served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Argentina to the International Organizations in Geneva which includes United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the World Intellectual Property Organization. In 2015, before taking office as the Permanent Representative, he was the Deputy Permanent Representative of Argentina in Geneva. He has been posted to the European Union in Brussels (1989-1994), and twice to the United States of America in Washington D.C (1998-2000, and 2003-2008). Working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he was Director General for Trade Promotion, Director for Capital Goods and Technology Trade Promotion, acting Under Secretary of Investment Development, and member of the Cabinet of the Secretary of International Economic Relations and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. During all his diplomatic carrier he was engaged on economic, trade and environmental issues, as well as bilateral and multilateral cooperation. H.E. Ambassador Hector Marcelo Cima delivered a lecture on “Argentina’s foreign policy” on Friday May 10th, 2019

Mr. Christos Stylianides is the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management since November 1st, 2014. On October 24th, 2014 he was appointed by the European Council EU Ebola Coordinator. He was elected Member of the European Parliament in the May 2014 European elections where he served until October 31st 2014. He was twice appointed Government Spokesperson of the Republic of Cyprus (in 2013-2014 and in 1998-1999). He was responsible for the formulation and coordination of the Government’s communication strategy and was the head of the Government’s Press and Information Office. During the period 2006-2013 he served as a Member of the Cyprus House of Representatives (elected in 2006 and 2011). During his tenure he served as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs (2011-2013) and member of the Committee on European Affairs, the Committee of Internal Affairs and the Committee of Employment and Social Affairs (2006-2011). Between 2006 to 2011 he was a member of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and he was elected Member of its Bureau in 2012. Mr. Christos Stylianides delivered a lecture at CERIS on “European Solidarity : Protecting and Saving Live” on Friday June 14th, 2019.

H. E. Mr. Alexander Tokovinin is graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR (1978, currently MGIMO-University). He was promoted to diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 2012. He entered the diplomatic career in 1978, held various positions in the central administration of the ministry and abroad: Minister-Counselor at the Russian Embassy in Egypt (1996 – 2001), Deputy Director of the Department of Political Planning (2001 – 2004), Ambassador of Russia to Morocco (2004 – 2008), Deputy Director of the Department of Political Planning (2008 – 2011), Director of the Department of Political Planning of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2011 – 2016). H.E. Mr. Alexander Tokovinin was appointed Ambassador of Russia to the Kingdom of Belgium on June 16, 2016. His Excellency Mr. Alexander Tokovinin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Belgium,  delivered a lecture at CERIS on “The Russian Foreign Policy” on Friday February 14th, 2020.

Professor Ian Goldin is Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford, Professorial Fellow at Balliol College, Oxford University, Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Technological and Economic Change and founding Director of the Oxford Martin School. Ian previously was Vice President of the World Bank and the Group’s Director of Policy, after serving as Chief Executive of the Development Bank of Southern Africa and Economic Advisor to President Nelson Mandela. Ian has served as Principal Economist at the EBRD and the Director of the Trade and Sustainable Growth Programmes at the OECD Development Centre. Goldin has been knighted by the French Government and received numerous awards. He lectures at Oxford, Tsinghua and Harvard and provides advisory and consultancy services to the IMF, UN, EU, OECD and numerous governments and companies. He has served as a non-executive Director on six globally listed companies, including as the Senior Independent Director and chaired all board committees. He is Chair of the core-econ.org initiative to transform economics, and is an honorary trustee of Comic Relief and other charities. Professor Ian Goldin delivered a lecture at CERIS on “The Pandemic that Changed the World” on Friday, October 16th, 2020.

H.E. Mr. Eduardo José A. de Vega is a career diplomat who assumed his current post as Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the European Union on 24 April 2018. Before assuming his current post, he was the Philippine Ambassador to Mexico from 31 March 2016 to 23 April 2018. His other foreign assignments included previous stints as Deputy Permanent Representative from 2012 to 2014 and as Minister from 2011 to 2012 at the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations; Consul General from 2008 to 2011 at the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona; Minister and Consul from 2007 to 2008 at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.; First Secretary and Consul from March to November 2002, Chargé d’Affaires from 2001 to 2002, and Second Secretary and Consul from 1999 to 2001 at the Philippine Embassy in Mexico City; and Second Secretary and Consul from 1997 to 1999 and Third Secretary and Vice Consul from 1996 to 1997 at the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv. At the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, he served as the Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs from 2014 to 2016, Director for the U.S. Division at the Office of American Affairs from 2006 to 2007. H.E Mr. Eduardo José A de Vega delivered a lecture on the “Three Pillars of Foreign Policy and the South China Sea issue” on Friday April 30th, 2021.

H.E. Mrs. Hirut Zemene, Ambassador was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Kingdom of Belgium, Luxembourg and E.U. institutions in May 2020. Before assuming her current post, she has held ministerial positions: She was State Minister for Political Affairs (for Africa, Middle East and Public Diplomacy) from 2018 to May 2020 and State Minister for Political Affairs in charge of all bilateral and Multi-lateral matters from 2016 to April 2018. Prior to that, she has occupied various positions: Director General Business Diplomacy (01/2015-11/2016); Minister Counsellor, in charge of Business Diplomacy, Multi-lateral affairs- Embassy of Ethiopia in the UK (07/2010-07/2014); Director, LDCs and LLDCs Directorate (2008-2010); Senior 2nd Secretary, Counsellor, Asia and the Middle East Directorate General (1998-2003); 2nd Secretary, Political and development cooperation officer, Embassy of Ethiopia, PR China (1998-2003); Desk officer for USA (on the interim Desk officer for Canada for 6 months), 3rd Secretary (04/1992-1998). H.E Ambassador Hirut Zemene delivered a lecture on “The Ethiopia’s Foreign Policy” on Friday May 28th, 2021.

Mr. Pascal Smet was a member of the province council of East Flanders (1991–1994). He served as Belgium’s Commissioner General for refugees and stateless people (2001–2003). In 2003 he became Secretary of State in the government of the Brussels-Capital Region and chairman of the Flemish Community Commission. From 2004 to 2009 he was minister in the government of the Brussels-Capital Region. He dealt with mobility and public works in the Brussels capital region. He was also competent for culture, sport and youth for the Flemish community in Brussels. From 2006 to 2018, he was a member of the city council of the City of Brussels. In 2009 Mr. Pascal Smet became then a member of the Peeters II Government as Flemish Minister for Education, Youth, Equal Opportunities and Brussels Affairs. In 2014 he ran for the Brussels Parliament, after which he became Minister of Mobility and Public Works in the Brussels-Capital government again. After 2019 he became Secretary of State of the Brussels-Capital Region for Urabnisme and Heritage, European and International Relations, Foreign Trade and Fire fighting and Emergency medical Assistance. Mr. Pascal Smet delivered the closing conference on “Boring Brussels or Bustling Brussels? How to explain Brussels to the world?” on Friday October 22nd, 2021.

H.E. Mr. Zaheer Aslam Janjua is the Ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union and assumed charge of his assignments in Brussels on 7th September, 2019. Ambassador Janjua is a career diplomat, he joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1988. Before assuming his assignment in Brussels, Ambassador Janjua was serving at the headquarters as Additional Secretary for Europe. He has served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2014 to 2016. Ambassador Zaheer A. Janjua has held various diplomatic assignments in Pakistan’s bilateral and multilateral missions including Amman (2007-2011), Moscow (2002-2005) Geneva (1999-2002) and Tashkent (1992-1996). At the headquarters he held the posts of Additional Secretary (2016-2019), Chief of State Protocol (2013),Director General (2011-2012), Director (2005-2007) and Section Officer (1990-1992 and 1996-1999 ) Ambassador Janjua holds Masters degree in Defence and Strategic Studies and he is proficient in Russian language. H.E. Zaheer A. Janjua, Ambassador of Pakistan to the EU, to the kingdom of Belgium and Luxembourg delivered a lecture on “International and Regional security Challenges at the crossroads of South-Central Asia” on Saturday October 30th, 2021.

H.E. Mr. Dieudonné Rugambwa Sebashongore is the Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda in Belgium, Luxembourg, and EU Institutions. He holds a PhD in Applied Organic Chemistry from the Université Catholique de Louvain. He worked as a researcher in various institutions in Chemistry in Belgium before joining academia in Rwanda as Dean of the Faculty of Sciences and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology. In addition of serving as Director of Teaching and Learning Enhancement and Senior Lecturer at the University of Rwanda’s School of Science and Technology, he consulted on various projects in the sector of Environment and Education. Prior to being appointed in 2020 as Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda in Belgium, Luxembourg, and EU Institutions, Dieudonné Sebashongore Chaired the City of Kigali Council between 2011 and 2016. H.E Mr. Dieudonné Rugambwa Sebashongore, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda in Belgium, Luxembourg, and EU Institutions delivered the closing conference on “Foreign Policy of Rwanda” at the CERIS-ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels on Saturday May 28th, 2022.

H.E. Mr. Herman De Croo is an old lion of Belgian politics. He has a Ph. D. in Law of this University (the “Université Libre de Bruxelles”) and he did study also at the Chicago LawSchool. He is emeritus professor of the Free University of Brussels (VUB). He was a Member of Parliament for more than 50 years, first he was a member of the Federal Parliament from 1968 till 2014 and, from then on, till 2019 as a member of the Flemish Parliament. He was a member of the Belgian Government from 1974 till 1977 and from 1980 till 1988. As a Minister he was in charge of National Education, the Post Office, Pensions, Communications and Foreign Trade. He was the President of his political party, the Flemish Liberals, from 1995 till 1997. Since 1998, he is Minister of State. He has also been the President of the House of Representatives for eight years from 1999 till 2007. He fulfilled numerous scientific activities as well as a great variety of public functions and mandates in Belgium and in Europe for which he received high distinctions in Belgium and in several foreign countries. He has been the chairman of the Belgian reference center for the Expertise on Central Africa. Last but not least, his son, Alexander, is currently the Prime Minister of Belgium. On the occasion of the Graduation Ceremony of CERIS, H.E Mr. Herman De Croo, Minister of State, Honorary Speaker of the House, Former Minister, Deputy and Mayor delivered a lecture on “Belgium in the International Relations” on Monday October 10th, 2022. 

Dr. Pascal Boniface is the founding Director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs – IRIS, based in Paris. He is the Director of the quarterly journal “La Revue internationale et stratégique” (International and strategic review) since 1991, and the Editor of “L’Année stratégique” (Strategic Yearbook) since 1985. Dr. Pascal BONIFACE has published or edited more than sixty books dealing with International Relations, Nuclear Deterrence and Disarmament, European Security, French International Policy, Sport in the International Relations (he developed the concept of Geopolitics of Sport) and also the conflict in the Middle-East and its impact in France. Many of them have become classics, reissued on a regular basis and translated in several languages. He publishes numerous articles in international and strategic reviews, is regularly present in the media, national and international, written and audiovisual, and gives many conferences in France and abroad. He’s one of the most followed geopolitical analysts on social networks. He also analyses international issues on his own YouTube channel and weekly podcasts “Comprendre le monde”. On the occasion of the Opening Lecture of CERIS-ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels, Dr. Pascal Boniface delivered a conference on “The State of the World” on Friday, October 21st, 2022. [read more]

Honorary Ambassador Hüseyin Diriöz is a career diplomat who served his country for 30 years before he joined the NATO. He first joined the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978 and served in Kabul and Strasbourg before attending the NATO Defence College in Rome in 1987/88. He then returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a further year before joining the Turkish Delegation to NATO for four years. In 1993, Ambassador Diriöz joined the NATO International Staff as Head of the Defence Policy Section and in 1996 he returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara. From 1998 to 2000 he was Minister-Counsellor in the Turkish Embassy, Washington DC, and on his return he became the Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2004 to 2008 he was Turkey’s Ambassador to Jordan after which he returned to the Ministry in Ankara for a year before becoming the Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Turkey, Abdullah Gul. In 2010, he was appointed as Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Defence Policy and Planning. After his tenure at NATO, he served as Turkish Ambassador to Brasilia. Subsequently, he was appointed as Turkish Ambassador to Moscow in 2016 – 2019. He retired from the Turkish Diplomatic Service in 2019. On the occasion of the Open Days of CERIS-ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels, Honorary Ambassador Hüseyin Diriöz delivered a conference on “Turkey: key country in a changing world” on Saturday, October 22nd, 2022. [read more]

Mr. François Heisbourg is Senior Adviser for Europe for the London-based “International Institute for Strategic Studies” – IISS, as well as Special Adviser for the Paris-based “Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique” – FRS. During his distinguished career, Mr. François Heisbourg has served in government, industry and academia. He has made notable contributions to French defence policymaking, including the 2006 White Paper, ‘La France face au terrorisme‘, as well as defence and national security White Papers under President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007–08 and President François Hollande in 2012–13. He has also sat on consultative bodies for the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament; the International Commission on the Balkans and the European Commission. He was chairman of the IISS from 2002 to 2018, and from 1998 to 2018, he chaired the Foundation Council of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. In 2015–17, he was a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Bosch Academy in Berlin. He has written extensively on defence and security questions, and is a frequent contributor to specialist and mainstream media. On the occasion of the Opening Lecture of CERIS-ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels, Mr. François Heisbourg delivered a conference on “The nature and the implications of the global redistribution of power” on Friday, October 13th, 2023.

H.E. Mr. Rafał Siemianowski  is the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Kingdom of Belgium. Before this appointment, H.E. Mr. Siemianowski worked for many years as a civil servant at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (2006-2012; 2015-2020). As a deputy director of the Bureau of the Prime Minister he closely worked with successive Heads of the Chancellery and was responsible for the correspondence, documents and decisions of the Prime Minister and the Head of the Chancellery. In 2020 he was appointed Undersecretary of State and Deputy Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. In this capacity he supervised a broad range of issues including legislation, control and international affairs analysis. In 2012-2015 he served as a counsellor at the Polish Embassy in London. His portfolio consisted of two main fields: the Polish-British science and academic cooperation as well as British policy towards Africa, the Far East, South America as well as Australia and Oceania. Ambassador Siemianowski graduated from international relations at the University of Warsaw (2004) and the National School of Public Administration (2006). Before the Polish Presidency in the EU he did an internship at DG Relex, the European Commission (2009/2010). On the occasion of the Open Days of CERIS-ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels, Ambassador Rafał Siemianowski delivered a conference on “The Polish foreign policy towards the war in Ukraine” on Satursday, October 14th, 2023.

H.E. Mr. Fu Cong was appointed to Brussels as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Head of Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union. He began his diplomatic career in 1987. Since then, he has held a number of important posts at home and abroad. Among his notable career postings, he was Division Director, Counselor and Deputy Director-General, Department of Arms Control, MFA (1997-2004), Deputy Director-General, Foreign Affairs (Overseas Chinese Affairs) Office of the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (2004-2005), Counselor and Minister-Counselor, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland (2005-2007), Adviser to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (2007-2013), Coordinator for Cyber Affairs, MFA (2013-2014), Deputy Permanent Representative, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Disarmament Affairs of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland (2014-2018), Director-General of the Department of Arms Control, MFA (2018-2022). On the occasion of the Open Days of CERIS-ULB Diplomatic School of Brussels, Ambassador Fu Cong delivered a conference on “China and EU: Shaping the Future in a Changing World” on Friday, October 20th, 2023.