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Gabriel Badescu is a social scientist interested in combining empirical academic work with civic outreach and activism. He has initiated and coordinated more than ten research projects on topics of importance to societies in transition, including elections forecasting in association with the University of Michigan, the impact of changes in higher education admissions, and trends in nationalism in Romania. As Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Badescu developed and taught two courses: Political Culture and Civil Society and Research Methods. He also serves as Director of the Laboratory of Empirical Political Analysis at the university. His current research, which involves the economic role of social capital, could prove useful to the Soros foundations network in a number of areas, primarily economics and civil society. He plans to devise his own questionnaire and methodology to measure social capital and its role in housing associations in an attempt to offer unique solutions to problems of housing management in transition countries. He is currently a PhD candidate at Babes-Bolyai University, having received his BA in mathematics in 1993 and second BA in sociology there in 1994, as well as two certificates in Quantitative Methods of Social Research from the University of Michigan. Badescu resides in Cluj-Napoca.
Fellowship project title:
Assessing the role of social capital in public administration
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of public administration and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, investigate the concept of social capital in the context of housing management, provide policy recommendations aimed at improving the efficiency of housing associations, and determine the applicability of this Romanian case study to other countries in the region.
Primary mentor:
Bohdan Krawchenko, OSI-Budapest Board and LGI director
Other network contacts:
Gabriel Toka, CEU Political Science Department (contacted)
Liviu Ianasi, Romanian foundation public admin. and LGI board (suggested)
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Péter Bajomi-Lázár is a well-published, leading member of a new generation of media experts in Hungary. A journalist who began his career establishing a community radio station in the city of Pécs, Mr. Bajomi-Lázár research has focused on ideal types of public service, commercial and community broadcasting. He is author of the book Changing Concepts of Public Service in Western European Radio, forthcoming this year by the Uj Mandatum Publishing House. Mr. Bajomi-Lázár hopes to broaden his research to include issues of media freedom in Hungary and other Central and Eastern European countries. According to various OSI and CEU experts, no research on this topic has been conducted in Hungary in a comprehensive way, and the expansion of such research to include CEE countries could greatly benefit the Soros foundations network. Mr. Bajomi-Lázár would also like to develop training programs for minorities to enable them to use the media in a professional way. He received his BA in French language and literature in 1995 and BA in English language and literature in 1996 from Janus Pannonius University in Pécs, his MA in political science from CEU in 1997, and is completing his PhD at CEU in political science. Mr. Bajomi-Lázár resides in Budapest.
Fellowship project title:
Freedom of the media in Hungary
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of media and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research on media freedoms in Hungary, provide analysis of existing methods for measuring freedom of the media, formulate specific policy proposals regarding freedom of the media, and identify problems and possible solutions specific to the region as a whole.
Primary mentor:
Biljana Tatomir, OSI-Budapest Network Media Program deputy director
Other network contacts:
Helen Darbishire, Network Media Program and the Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute
Gabriella Cseh, COLPI staff attorney and media project
Miklós Sükösd, CEU professor of media studies
Judit Sándor, CEU law professor at political science department
Jack Willis, OSI-NY resident senior fellow (suggested)
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Nonna Barkhatova is a lecturer in economics who has conducted field research on Russian small business for international projects sponsored by institutions including the World Bank, the University of Kent and the University of Manchester. Due to the excellence of her field research, Dr. Barkhatova was employed as a Senior Fellow in 1997 by the University of Manchester Department of Sociology--a rare move for a British university in relation to a foreign social science researcher. She now plans to investigate the influence of legal, fiscal and administrative conditions on the establishment and growth of small enterprises in Russia in order to devise detailed recommendations for reforms. In the future she hopes to develop independent training programs for both business managers and public administrators and establish an association to protect small business interests. Dr. Barkhatova received her BA in economics in 1988 from Novosibirsk State University, her PhD in sociology from the University of Manchester in 1996, and certificates in sociology and personnel management from the University of Kent and the Institute of Economics in Novosibirsk, respectively. She resides in Novosibirsk and serves as a lecturer at the Novosibirsk State University Department of Sociology.
Fellowship project title:
The influence of regulation and taxation on small enterprises in Russia
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of economics/management education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors; provide an assessment of the legal, fiscal and administrative conditions affecting the initiation and growth of small enterprises in Russia; investigate the policies and practices of local state agencies with regard to the small enterprise sector; and write a report containing recommendations for changes in Russian public administration and, in particular, in local tax systems.
Primary mentor:
Gedeon Werner, OSI-Russia
Other network contacts:
Piotr Korynski, OSI economics program director in New York (contacted)
Viktor Askanas, International Management Center Dean
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Elena Brountseva is a professor at the St. Petersburg Institute of Law, Chief Counsel for Compozitor Publishing House in St. Petersburg, and former Assistant Professor at the Kazakh State University School of Law. The author of several books and articles on Russian and international law, Ms. Brountseva was the 1995 recipient of the American Bar Association/CEELI Award for CIS law professors. She received her LLM degree from Yale Law School and currently serves on the board of directors of the Washington-based International Center for Not-for-Profit Law. She has prepared and taught a university course on international commercial arbitration and is currently writing a book on this subject. Ms. Brountseva resides in St. Petersburg.
Fellowship project title:
Russian textbook on international commercial arbitration
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of law/human rights and economics/management education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, and to write a textbook in Russian containing a systematic explanation of the theory and practice of international commercial arbitration to provide law students with the materials on the issue which are not yet available in Russian.
Primary mentor:
Tibor Várady, CEU legal studies department
Other network contacts:
Robert Kushen, OSI Deputy Director (suggested)
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David Canek is a published scholar specializing in issues of nationalism and discrimination against ethnic minorities, in particular Roma. His 1996 book Nation, Nationality, Minorities and Racism received favorable reviews and his paper on Czech nationalism is being published in a large volume on contemporary nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe edited by the Mannheim University in Germany. According to one OSI screener, Mr. Canek's current investigation of Roma segregation in Czech and Slovak schools is an exceptionally important project that "addresses professionally all of the most important issues of Roma rights work" with a real potential to instigate change if adequately promoted. Mr. Canek studied at the University of Vienna and the Humboldt University of Berlin. He received his MA in 1997 from the Center for Comparative Studies at Charles University in Prague and is currently a PhD student at the Center.
Fellowship project title:
Racial integration and segregation in Czechoslovak, Czech and Slovak education systems: Roma in mainstream educational institutions and in schools for the mentally retarded
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of minority issues and civil society and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors; conduct research into the history of educational policies toward Roma in Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia; and devise practical recommendations based on an examination of policies of inclusion and exclusion, assimilation and dissimilation regarding Roma.
Primary mentor:
Jim Goldston, European Roma Rights Centre
Jud Nirenberg, OSI-Budapest Regional Roma Program
Other network contacts:
Petra Kovacs, OSI-Budapest Local Government Initiative
Olga Gajechova, Roma programs director, Czech foundation
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Bogdan Chiritoiu is a medical doctor with two MA degrees in political science who is conducting comparative research on health care reforms in Central European countries and Romania to develop policy recommendations for health care reformers and the Soros foundations network. He has been a member of international research teams investigating topics including the process of democratization in CEE countries funded by the Australian government, the development of a Romanian model for conflict management under the auspices of PHARE, and NGO projects including one to establish a Romanian Centre for Conflict Resolution in cooperation with the Canadian International Institute for Applied Negotiations. Dr. Chiritoiu has served as Director of Research for the Foundation for Democratic Change since 1996. He received his MD degree in 1995 from Carol Davila University in Bucharest, MA in political science from CEU in 1997, and MS in European Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1998. He resides in Bucharest.
Fellowship project title:
Romanian health care reform: Markets in health and experiences from other Central and Eastern European countries
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of public medicine and health and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research on the main features of current reforms in the Romanian health sector and to compare the results of the research with the experiences of other countries in the region, provide an evaluation and critique of the reform process, and advance public debate on health policy in the region.
Primary mentors:
Ferenc Falus, Hungary foundation board
Cristian Vladescu, Romania foundation health program
Other network contacts:
Judit Csehák, Hungary foundation board president of health programs (contacted)
Srdjan Matic, OSI-NY medical programs director
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Irina Davydova is an impressive scholar seeking to conduct research into the impact of reforms and funding changes on Russian higher education and Russian society as a whole, a rare but important topic for a young Russian academic that could prove useful for Soros network education programs. Ms. Davydova has defended her PhD dissertation at the University of Manchester Department of Sociology and will undertake her fellowship research based in Novosibirsk in Siberia. She received her BA in 1986 from the Economics Faculty of Novosibirsk State University and served as a lecturer there before joining the University of Manchester Department of Sociology PhD program in 1994. Ms. Davydova is the author of several articles and has taught graduate courses on various aspects of Russian society.
Fellowship project title:
University responses to current education reforms in Russia
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of higher education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, examine the impact of financing changes in Russian higher education and their implications for educational standards and practices, monitor university re-organization and adjustment to the new conditions during the fellowship year (with a case study of Novosibirsk State University), and forecast the effects of the changes on social mobility and stratification.
Primary mentor:
Voldemar Tomusk, OSI-Budapest Higher Education Support Program (HESP) manager
Other network contacts:
Nandini Ramanujam, HESP director
Sophia Howletts, CEU-HESP external programs director
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Andrei Filtchenko is an accomplished young linguist working to document vanishing aboriginal languages and promote the preservation of indigenous cultures, particularly in Siberia where the increasing emphasis on oil exploration and other large industries is threatening many traditional languages and cultures with extinction. With assistance from Hungarian colleagues Mr. Filtchenko plans to record data on the disappearing Finno-Ugric language of the Khanty people and to eventually develop a multimedia atlas of indigenous peoples of Siberia. He hopes to identify some linguistic, cultural and social prerequisites for preserving and revitalizing the Khanty language and culture that can be applied to other endangered languages and cultures. The Tomsk State Pedagogical University where Mr. Filtchenko is a PhD student houses the world's best existing collection of ethnographic and linguistic data on the languages of Western Siberia, making him ideally positioned to carry out his plans. He received his BA in 1996 in English and German from Tomsk State Pedagogical University and resides in Tomsk.
Fellowship project title:
The preservation of indigenous languages and cultures in Siberia
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of minority issues, culture and electronic communications and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research on the socio-cultural and linguistic prerequisites for preserving and revitalizing the Khanty language in the Tomsk region of Russia and write a teaching manual on the Khanty language, initiate a multimedia atlas on indigenous peoples of Siberia, and provide recommendations for restoring the language and culture of indigenous peoples.
Primary mentor:
Daniele Conversi, CEU nationalism department
New OSI-Russia Civil Society Program head (V. Bakhmin following up)
Other network contacts:
Petra Kovacs, OSI-Budapest Local Government Initiative
Sorin Antohi, OSI-Budapest board and CEU Pro-Rector
Michael Kay, OSI electronic publishing head (contacted)
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Margit Feischmidt is an exceptional scholar focusing on patterns of ethnic and nationlist politics in contemporary Eastern Europe with extensive field research based in her native city of Cluj, Romania. She has published numerous books and articles on ethnic relations and concepts of ethnicity and is completing her PhD dissertation for the European Ethnology Institute at Humbolt University in Berlin. Ms. Feischmidt received an MA in 1991 in Hungarian and German philology from Babes-Bolyai University in Romania, a second MA in 1994 from the E(tv(s Lor(nt University Department of Cultural Anthropology in Budapest, and in 1995 joined the PhD program at Humbolt University. She resides in Budapest.
Fellowship project title:
Global multiculturalism and local ethnicities in Eastern Europe
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of minority issues and civil society and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research on what ethnicity means and how it is constructed in society, and devise recommendations for new methods of easing ethnic and cultural tensions via political and cultural institutions.
Primary mentor:
Mária Kovács, CEU nationalism department head
Levente Salat, Cluj foundation head
Other network contacts:
Rogers Brubaker, CEU nationalism department professor
Violetta Zentai, OSI local government initiative
Ilona Kiss, OSI/CEU Russian studies center (requested)
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Andre Kamenshikov is a well-known Russian human rights activist who founded and directs the NIS division of the Washington-based NGO Nonviolence International. Under Mr. Kamenshikov's direction, this organization coordinated efforts including evacuations of refugees from Chechnya during the height of the conflict and the publication of a brochure of NGOs and associations operating in North Caucasus for the OSI Forced Migration Projects. Mr. Kamenshikov is actively involved in capacity building activities with local NGOs in the Caucasus region and monitors developments in the North Caucasus for members of the Russian Duma. He is currently expanding his activities promoting conflict resolution and inter-ethnic communications in areas of tension in Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia. Mr. Kamenshikov received his MA in sociology from Moscow State University in 1991 and resides in Moscow.
Fellowship project title:
North Caucasus
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of civil society and minority issues and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors; explore new approaches for conducting humanitarian activities and supporting elements of civil society in the North Caucasus; establish a channel of information from these regions focusing on constructive activities at the community level; and disseminate information about potential crises in the region and provide recommendations proposing activities aimed at reducing such crises to international agencies, foundations, embassies and other relevant actors.
Primary mentor:
Vyacheslav Bakhmin, OSI-Russia
Other network contacts:
Ilona Kiss, OSI/CEU Russian studies center (requested)
Daniele Conversi, CEU nationalism department professor
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Ireneusz Kaminski is a talented legal scholar who has published more than 20 articles and book chapters focused on comparative analyses of law and social normative systems. He plans to expand his research to investigate European legal standards related to media freedoms and their applicability in Central and Eastern European countries. Dr. Kami(ski is a lecturer at the Department of the Sociology of Law at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. In 1988 he completed his LLM degree with honors from the Silesian University in Katowice, Poland, and was awarded first prize from Polish authorities for the best thesis in the field of civil and commercial law. Dr. Kami(ski also received an MA in sociology in 1990 from the Jagiellonian University, certificate from the European Academy of Legal Theory in Brussels in 1997, and PhD in law from the Institute of Legal Sciences in Warsaw in 1998. He resides in Krakow.
Fellowship project title:
Western media standards in new European democracies
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of media and law/human rights and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, compare Western and Central European media standards and devise recommendations for new media regulations in Central Europe, and prepare a course on media law for students at Polish universities.
Primary mentor:
Biljana Tatomir, OSI Network Media Program deputy director
Other network contacts:
Miklós Sükösd, CEU professor of media studies
Helen Darbishire, Network Media Program and the Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute
Jack Willis, OSI-NY resident senior fellow (suggested)
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Lana Karlova is a young education specialist seeking to carry out a comparative analysis of higher education management and strategy development in NIS countries in order to formulate strategies for Armenian higher education development. As part-time coordinator for the Tempus Tacis Programme in Armenia, Ms. Karlova has been responsible for developing and implementing various Tempus Tacis projects in higher education management in Armenia since she completed graduate school in 1996. She received her BA in Russian language and literature from Yerevan State University in 1986 and her MA in political science and international relations from the American University of Armenia. She resides in Yerevan.
Fellowship project title:
Higher education management and strategy development in Armenia
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of higher education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, analyze the institutional administrative structure of higher education in Armenia and assess its development and effectiveness, and devise policy recommendations for future strategies.
Primary mentor:
Voldemar Tomusk, HESP manager
Other network contacts:
Nandini Ramanujam, HESP director
Sophia Howletts, CEU-HESP director
Rouzanna Tsaroukyan, Armenia foundation education coordinator (suggested)
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Dina Khapaeva is a distinguished historian who has conducted field research and published works as a member of numerous international research teams, including several at the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in France and the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. She is currently managing an extensive project to bridge East vs. West gaps in historical and cultural understanding with the publication of A Comparative Dictionary of Basic Historical Terms. The OSI publishing program is confident that the project will not only examine how social scientists in various countries use terms differently to assist them in developing common research strategies, but that the project will also serve as a model for other international publishing initiatives of the Soros network. Dr. Khapaeva is a lecturer in sociology at the St. Petersburg State University Smolny College of Liberal Arts. She received her BA in 1985 and PhD in 1988 in history from the Leningrad State University and resides in St. Petersburg.
Fellowship project title:
Comparative dictionary of East vs. West basic historical terms
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of publishing and culture and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, offer a systematic comparison of key concepts in the social sciences arising from different cultural traditions by developing A Comparative Dictionary of Basic Historical Terms, promote mutual understanding between Eastern and Western scholars, and provide students coming from different cultural perspectives with an adequate understanding of the differences and similarities of the foundations of the social sciences' intellectual apparatus in different cultures.
Primary mentor:
Frances Pinter, OSI publishing program director
Sorin Antohi, OSI-Budapest board and CEU Pro-Rector
Other network contacts:
Rastko Mocnik, OSI-Budapest and OSI Slovenia boards
Anastasia Posadskaya, OSI-NY network women's program (requested)
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Tatiana Kiselyova is a young activist involved in promoting court reform and alternative legal dispute resolution activities via local NGOs and the university in Donetsk, Ukraine. As a lecturer at the Economics and Law Faculty at Donetsk State University, Ms. Kiselyova is developing and teaching courses on alternative dispute resolution and Ukrainian municipal and constitutional law. She is developing a pilot course that could serve as a model for Ukrainian law schools in alternative dispute resolution that introduces new approaches to arbitration, mediation and negotiation. Ms. Kiselyova serves as the head and founding member of the university's Youth Center for Legal Studies, which also helped establish the Ukrainian Law Students Association and operates a pro bono clinic for clients, organizes several moot court teams per year, helps publish the faculty law journal, and maintains international legal contacts. Ms. Kiselyova received her law degree from Donetsk State University with the highest distinction in 1998. She resides in Donetsk.
Fellowship project title:
Pilot university course and promotion of alternative dispute resolution
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of law/human rights and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, write a manual on alternative dispute resolution for the law departments of Ukrainian universities, implement a pilot elective course on alternative dispute resolution at Donetsk State University, and promote the development of alternative dispute resolution via NGOs and the university in Donetsk.
Primary mentor:
Stefan Messman, CEU law professor
Roman Zvarych, International Renaissance Foundation board
Other network contacts:
Zaza Namoradze, COLPI Deputy Director
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Beata Klimkiewicz is a scholar and journalist currently examining how the media represents minority issues and how ethnic minorities may influence their own media image. Ms. Klimkiewicz cooperates with the Polish Public Television's Krakow branch and with several NGOs in preparing workshops on ethnic reporting. She ultimately plans to encourage the establishment of an alternative civic media network serving the needs of various communities and the implementation of civic journalism practices in mainstream media in Eastern and Central Europe. Ms. Klimkiewicz received an MA in geography in 1991 from Comenius University in Bratislava and an MA in journalism summa cum laude in 1995 from Jagiellonian University in Krakow. She was a visiting fellow at Oxford University in 1997 and Columbia University in 1998. She is currently completing her PhD at the Institute of Political Sciences at Jagiellonian Univeristy and resides in Krakow.
Fellowship project title:
Participation of ethnic minorities in the public sphere
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of media and minority issues and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research into media representation of ethnic minorities, and examine how ethnic groups participate in public debate in Central European countries as compared with established multi-ethnic societies.
Primary mentor:
Gordana Jankovic, OSI Network Media Program director
Other network contacts:
Miklós Sükösd, CEU professor of media studies
Jack Willis, OSI-NY resident senior fellow (suggested)
Jim Goldston, European Roma Rights Centre
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Natalya Korchakova is an active manager of projects encouraging land privatization and economic reforms in Ukraine. She has participated in several USAID projects to promote land privatization and financial accounting in Ukraine and conducted extensive research on small business and NGO development for the Loyola Marymount University School of Business Administration, which presented her with an award for entrepreneurial excellence. Ms. Korchakova has developed good working relations with the Land Resource Committee of the Kharkov Region and is well-positioned to positively influence new land privatization initiatives in Ukraine. She plans to develop an online database of information on land privatization that can be used as a model for other regions and countries of Eastern Europe. She received her BS in 1994 from the Kharkov Polytechnic University, completed postgraduate studies in 1997 in mechanical engineering at the Kharkov State Municipal Academy, and is completing a degree in Ecological Management from the French Management School. She resides in Kharkov.
Fellowship project title:
An electronic networking system to encourage land privatization and development
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of economics/management education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors; and establish a network database system which will provide detailed assistance, knowledge and resources encouraging the implementation of land development and privatization in the Kharkov region of Ukraine.
Primary mentor:
Gedeon Werner, OSI-Russia
Viktor Askanas, International Management Center Dean
Other network contacts:
Michael Kay, OSI electronic publishing (contacted)
Piotr Korynski, OSI economics program director in NY (contacted)
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Ivan Krastev is a well-known political analyst and activist in Bulgaria who has published more than 350 articles and whose recommendations are noted by leading policy makers. He plans to work closely with LGI to complete a comparative analysis of the influence of new policy institutes in Eastern Europe and explore how the Soros foundations network can compliment the work of and cooperate with such institutes. Mr. Krastev has headed research teams sponsored by organizations including UNDP, the Hudson Institute, the World Bank, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Bulgarian president's office, among others. He has served as Chairman of the Board and Research Director for the Center for Liberal Strategies, a leading Bulgarian policy institute; is a founding member of the Balkan Civic Network; and has served on the boards of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, the Union of Bulgarian Foundations and Civic Associations, the Centre for Democracy and Reconciliation in the Balkans and the USAID Democracy Network. Mr. Krastev received his MA in philosophy from the University of Sofia in 1990, certificates from political science programs at Oxford University and the Collegium Budapest Institute for Advanced Study, and completed work on Eastern European politics for his PhD thesis to be defended. He resides permanently in Sofia and travels frequently.
Fellowship project title:
Independent public policy research institutes in South-Eastern Europe
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of civil society and public administration and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors; conduct empirical research on public policy in Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia; estimate the potential of existing policy institutes to influence the political decision-making process; and recommend policies for strengthening the capacities of think tanks in each of these countries and the ability of the Soros foundations network to cooperate with them.
Primary mentor:
Bohdan Krawchenko, OSI-Budapest board and LGI
Sorin Antohi, OSI-Budapest board and CEU Pro-Rector
Other network contacts:
Georgi Genchev, Bulgaria foundation Executive Director
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Anna Kukuruza is a psychologist working with children and teenagers who is striving to create equal opportunities for handicapped children and to prevent juvenile disabilities in Ukraine. The author of 28 scientific publications, Dr. Kukuruza plans to lay the groundwork for and promote the creation of an Early Intervention Center in Ukraine. The plan to develop such centers and its implementation could serve as a model for other Eastern European countries, as well as benefit from lessons learned by Soros medical programs in other countries. Dr. Kukuruza serves as Senior Scientist at the Ukrainian Research Institute of Child and Adolescent Health Protection in Kharkov and has been active in caring for children suffering from the Chernobyl disaster along with other clients. She received her BA in psychology from Kharkov State University in 1985 and her PhD in psychology from the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kiev in 1996. She resides in Kharkov.
Fellowship project title:
Development of early intervention centers for disabled children
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of public medicine and health and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, devise a model for early intervention centers for physically and mentally retarded children, and promote early rehabilitation for such children to prevent juvenile disabilities.
Primary mentor:
Agnes Lanyiné, Hungary foundation health board
Other network contacts:
Marta Kedl, Hungary foundation health program
Srdjan Matic, OSI-NY medical programs director (contacted)
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Svetlana Kulikova is a young media expert seeking to develop university courses as part-time head of the Mass Communications department of the American University in Kyrgyzstan that could serve as models for other Central Asian universities. In addition to her teaching responsibilities she develops training manuals as a consultant for the Counterpart Contract Trainer Program. She has worked on several World Bank and USAID projects promoting media and economic reform in Kyrgyzstan. Ms. Kulikova received her BA in foreign languages 1993 from Kyrgyz State University, her MS degree in political science from CEU in 1995, and a second MS with honors in mass communications and journalism in 1997 from Kansas State University through an USIA-funded Freedom Support Act Program grant. She resides in Bishkek.
Fellowship project title:
Curricula for journalism courses in Central Asia
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of media and higher education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors; design four courses dealing with different aspects of mass communication; and work with the American University in Kyrgyzstan to introduce these courses into the university curriculum and, if possible, into the curriculums of other Central Asian universities.
Primary mentor:
Miklós Sükösd, CEU professor of media studies
Other network contacts:
Gordana Jankovic, OSI-Budapest Network Media Program Director
Jack Willis, OSI-NY resident senior fellow (suggested)
Voldemar Tomusk, OSI-Budapest Higher Education Support Program manager
Sophie Howletts, CEU-HESP office
Miklos Vasarhelyi, Hungary foundation board chair (suggested)
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Yulia Melnichuk is a young researcher with interdisciplinary academic interests who plans to research the impact of economic reforms on womens' roles in Ukraine as a first step in promoting changes in attitudes and reforms affecting the involvement of women in the country's economic development. She has been an active NGO volunteer in her native city of Kharkov, worked as an assistant for the Civic Education Project and the CEU Curriculum Resource Center and is the recipient of several prestigious scholarships. Ms. Melnichuk received her BA with honors in sociology in 1996 from Kharkov State University, her MA in international relations in 1997 from CEU, and a second MA in international peace studies from Notre Dame University in 1998. She resides in Kharkov.
Fellowship project title:
The impact of economic reforms on women's role in Ukrainian society
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of gender issues and economics and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research into the impact of economic reforms conducted by the Ukrainian government and major intergovernmental organizations on the social roles of women, analyze the impact of national independent advocacy groups addressing gender aspects of economic reforms, and formulate policy recommendations based on this research.
Primary mentor:
Darja Zavirsek, CEU gender studies
Other network contacts:
Miglena Nickolchina, CEU gender studies head
Anastasia Posadskaya, OSI-NY network women's program
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Tamara Mtvarelidze is a well-trained young NGO activist specialising in environmental protection who has directed numerous public awareness projects for the Ecological Biomonitoring Association in Tbilisi on issues of both human rights and environmental protection. She plans to conduct a series of information campaigns to encourage more active public and NGO participation in reforms being carried out by the government in Georgia. Ms. Mtvarelidze was instrumental in organizing an American Bar Association/Yerevan Environmental Public Advocacy Center-sponsored conference in Tbilisi on the Convention on Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation in Environmental Decision Making in December 1997, which inspired her to become actively involved in advocating for the ratification and implementation of the Convention in Georgia.. She received her BS in geology in 1996 from Tbilisi State University and her MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy from CEU in 1997. She resides in Tbilisi.
Fellowship project title:
Promotion of civil society via public participation in Georgian reforms
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of civil society and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors; organize public education and awareness campaigns promoting public participation in the decision-making process in Georgia regarding environmental issues; disseminate information on the rights of individuals and NGOs to the media, schools and NGOs; assess the achievements and effectiveness of environmental NGOs in Georgia; and elaborate policy recommendations on public participation in Georgian reforms.
Primary mentor:
Ruben Mnatsakanian, CEU environmental studies department
Nana Phiphia, OSI-Georgia associate
Other network contacts:
Zaza Namoradze, COLPI Deputy Director (suggested)
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Miriam Molnár is a dynamic activist seeking to further the rights of homosexuals in Central Europe and the activities of NGOs involved in this issue. One interviewer noted that Ms. Molnár's project is "a pioneering breakthrough in many respects" of great benefit to the Soros network that comes at the right time and demands "a brave person, a clear mind, and an honest character... The applicant has all of this." Ms. Molnár worked for Freedom House in Budapest and has organized several HIV/AIDS prevention projects sponsored by international donors as well as gay and lesbian film festivals and other events in Budapest, where she resides. Ms. Molnár received her MA equivalent in 1993 from the University of Economics in Bratislava and conducted graduate coursework from 1993 to 1996 at the University of Economics in Budapest and Szazadvag Politikai Iskola Budapest.
Fellowship project title:
Analysis of Central European policies toward homosexuals
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of lesbian and gay rights and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors; conduct research on state policies toward homosexuals in Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia; and provide recommendations based on comparative research into the strategies of homosexual advocacy groups in these countries.
Primary mentor:
Dagmara Baraniewska, Stephan Batory board member
Anastasia Posadskaya, OSI-NY network women's program
Other network contacts:
Miglena Nickolchina, CEU gender studies head
Gara LaMarche, OSI Director of US Programs (requested)
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Alina Mungiu Pippidi is a leading media expert involved for more than two years in the transformation of the Romanian state television network into an independent public service organization with assistance from the BBC World Service. Dr. Mungiu Pippidi's insights in the media area and lessons learned during the course of her project could prove extremely useful for other Soros foundations network media programs. She is the author of seven books and countless articles on Romanian politics in transition and was awarded Best Romanian Play of the Year by the Union of Theaters for "The Evangelists" in 1992 and Best National Political Columnist by the Timisoara Society in 1994. In addition to her work as News and Current Affairs Director of Romanian Public Television in 1997 and 1998, Dr. Mungiu Pippidi serves as a board member of the Romanian Association of Journalists and the Romanian Association of Political Science. She is a founder and board member of the Romanian Academic Society and the Center for Institutional Reform, a public policy think-tank. She is also a member of the European Union permanent study group in Romania and a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. She received her degree as a medical doctor from the Medical School Iasi in 1991 and her PhD in political psychology from the University of Iasi after completing a year as a Fulbright Scholar at Harvard University's Department of Government. Dr. Mungiu Pippidi has lectured at Oxford, Columbia, Harvard, Berkeley, Princeton and Georgetown universities and currently teaches Political Psychology at the Faculty of Political Science at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies in Romania. She resides in Bucharest.
Fellowship project title:
Transformation of state TV into public TV in East-Central Europe
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of media and civil society and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, analyze the characteristics of East European post-communist state televisions and the various patterns of their reform, and propose policy recommendations for the de-politicization of state TV and the development of public TV in Romania and East-Central Europe.
Primary mentor:
Horia Roman Patapievici, Romania foundation board member
Gordana Jankovic, OSI Network Media Program Director
Other network contacts:
Jack Willis, OSI-NY resident senior fellow (suggested by Gara LaMarche)
Miklós Sükösd, CEU professor of media studies
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Dana Sapatoru is a published scholar seeking to expand her research into the effects of higher education reforms and the influence of economic transition on high school graduate choices in Romania, a rare topic for a Romanian academic that could prove useful for Soros network education programs. Ms. Sapatoru is one of a new generation of Eastern Europeans who are well trained in western neo-classical economics and research methodologies and who plan to return to their home countries after graduation to work as policy makers. In the first half of the 1990s she worked as an economic advisor at the National Agency for Privatization in Bucharest and as Project Coordinator and Assistant Director of the CEU Privatization Project in Bucharest and Prague. Ms. Sapatoru received her BA in economics from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest in 1990, certificate from the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank in 1991, her MA in economics from CEU in Prague in 1992, a second MA in international affairs from Columbia University in 1994, and is currently completing her PhD in the economics of education at Stanford University in the United States. Sapatoru undertakes frequent research trips to Romania and plans to return next year.
Fellowship project title:
Economic transformation and the demand for higher education: The case of Romania
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of higher education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research into reform of higher education in Romania, to examine factors which play a role in changes in demand for higher education, and propose recommendations based on the findings for educational policy makers and administrators of universities.
Primary mentor:
Rhett Bowlin, HESP deputy director
Other network contacts:
Voldemar Tomusk, HESP program manager
Nandini Ramanujam, HESP director
Sophia Howletts, CEU-HESP director
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Marianna Shershneva is an established expert in Ukrainian medical education who is developing a system of standardized medical education quality control to improve the existing system in Ukraine and internationally. She plans to conduct research to supplement the ongoing state Medical Licensing Examination Implementation Project in Ukraine. If successful, the results of such research could be applied to other education programs. Dr. Shershneva has managed international projects researching innovations in medical education for organizations including USAID and IREX. She received her degree as a medical doctor with honors in 1991 from Sverdlovsk State Medical Institute and has participated in a series of international training seminars in the United States and Ukraine on developing medical school curricula and standardized testing. She is currently affiliated with the International Biomedical Agency - Kiev Learning and Testing Center and the National Medical University as a specialist in international projects and the testing of technology. Dr. Shershneva resides in Kiev.
Fellowship project title:
Standardized quality control in Ukrainian medical education
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of public medicine/health and higher education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, investigate the best method(s) of feedback control at basic medical departments in Ukraine via a series of pilot projects, develop the infrastructure to link standardized testing and the teaching process, and create an optimal system for evaluation of the teaching process.
Primary mentor:
Ferenc Falus, Hungary foundation board
Other network contacts:
Judit Csehak, Hungary foundation health programs board (contacted)
Srdjan Matic, OSI-NY medical programs director (contacted)
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Snejana Slantcheva is a young researcher in the area of higher education who is focusing on a comparative analysis of how three large Bulgarian state universities introduce new academic degrees into existing systems. The research is part of a more general evaluation of recent developments in Bulgarian higher education that complements Ms. Slantcheva's extensive research on the internationalization of American higher education and could provide useful information for OSI education programs. One professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst calls Ms. Slantcheva "one of the most intelligent and probing graduate students with whom I have worked in my sixteen years in higher education." In 1994 and 1995 she worked as Assistant to the Director of Academic Support at the American University in Bulgaria before joining the University of Massachusetts PhD program in the School of Education Department of Educational Policy, Research, and Administration. Ms. Slantcheva received her MA in English Philology in 1994 from Sofia University and plans to return to her native city of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria this year to conduct research.
Fellowship project title:
Reforming Bulgarian higher education: An institutional perspective
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of higher education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research on current developments in Bulgarian higher education, assess how Bulgarian institutions of higher education address change and what difficulties they face in implementing reforms, and devise recommendations to improve the effectiveness of management decision-making at such institutions.
Primary mentor:
Rhett Bowlin, HESP deputy director
Other network contacts:
Voldemar Tomusk, HESP program manager
Nandini Ramanujam, HESP director
Peter Darvas, World Bank and OSI advisor
Sophia Howletts, CEU-HESP director
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Evgeniy Suborov is a specialist in the management of public and nonprofit organizations who serves as a member of the Coordination Committee for the Dnepropetrovsk branch of the International Renaissance Foundation and has carried out invaluable volunteer work with grantees on behalf of the Foundation. Mr. Suborov plans to write and publish an unique NGO management handbook that the local foundation and the OSI network publishing program support and believe will have a great positive impact on the NGO community in Ukraine. Mr. Suborov has served as a board member and Acting Executive Director for the Center for Social and Economic Research and as a consultant for the Resource Center for Civic Organizations in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, where he resides. He received his BS in computer science from the State Technical University in Zaparozhye and his MS in NGO management from the New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Fellowship project title:
Effective NGO management and NGO handbook
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of civil society and publishing and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, write and publish a handbook in Russian (and possibly Ukrainian) on the management of non-profit organizations, and provide local NGO managers with this reference tool based on Western non-profit management theory and local examples of successful NGOs.
Primary mentor:
Frances Pinter, OSI publishing program director
Greta Siegel, OSI organizational development
Other network contacts:
Ivan Shpitun, Dnepropetrovsk foundation Executive Director
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Ezster Szilassy is a promising young scholar in issues of minority education who has served professionally as both a leader and member of numerous international research teams studying ethnic relations and Roma discrimination under the auspices of institutions including the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Education, the Association of Etudes Tsiganes in Paris and the Media Institute and the Gallup Institute of Opinion and Market Research in Budapest. She plans to conduct field research on minority education in Hungarian primary schools and develop a minority education training program for teachers. She will likely work closely with the OSI Institute for Educational Policy. Ms. Szilassy received her MA from the Sociology department of the Sorbonne in Paris in 1998 and is completing a second MA from the Eötvös Loránt University Institute of Sociology and Ethnic and Minority Studies UNESCO Program. She resides in Budapest.
Fellowship project title:
Model for a training program in minority education in Hungary
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of minority issues and primary education and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, carry out a comprehensive analysis of approximately 30 elementary and secondary multiethnic schools, prepare a report identifying problems and possible solutions, and develop a training program for minority educators in Hungary.
Primary mentor:
Peter Rado, OSI Institute for Educational Policy
Other network contacts:
Petra Kovacs, OSI-Budapest Local Government Initiative
Hristo Kyuchukov, OSI Institute for Educational Policy
Anastasia Posadskaya, OSI-NY network women's program (requested)
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Baiba Tjarve is a respected member of the professional arts community in Latvia who serves on the Arts and Culture Commission of the local Soros Foundation. She plans to conduct comparative research on the development of performing arts centers in Europe in order to further develop the New Theatre Institute of Latvia, which she established this year to inspire artistic creativity and influence cultural policy. Ms. Tjarve has published some 60 articles on cultural issues and is a member the advisory council of the Latvian Ministry of Culture. She has directed and managed numerous international theatre projects and performances. Ms. Tjarve received her BA in Philology from the University of Latvia in 1995, her European MA in Management of Artistic and Cultural Activities from the ECUMEST Programme France-Romania in 1997, and her MA in Theatre Science from the University of Latvia in 1998. She is completing her PhD studies in theatre science at the University of Latvia and resides in Riga.
Fellowship project title:
Model for a new performing arts theatre centre
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the field of culture and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, develop a new model for a cultural organization through a pilot project developing the New Theatre Institute of Latvia, and carry out comparative research on the administration of performing arts centers in Eastern and Western European countries.
Primary mentor:
Vita Terauda, Latvia foundation Executive Director
Dessy Gavrilova, OSI-Budapest performing arts program manager
Other network contacts:
Mindy Duitz, US arts initiative program officer (suggested)
Gyorgyi Szábo, OSI performing arts program adviser
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Nigina Zaripova is an inspiring media expert seeking to research media conditions in Tajikistan and promote human rights education with a focus on media freedoms and the security of journalists. Ms. Zaripova has worked as an assistant with NGO research projects and the IMF in Tajikistan. She was the recipient of an Human Rights Fellowship from OSI-NY to study at the University of Missouri in St. Louis in 1995-96. Ms. Zaripova then went on to receive her MA in human rights from the University of Essex in 1998. She also holds two BA degrees in teaching from the Musicial College of Dushanbe and from the Tajik Teachers' Training University and resides in Dushanbe.
Fellowship project title:
Freedom of information in Tajikistan
Project description:
The objectives of the project are to develop a policy paper on program strategies for the Soros foundations network in the fields of media and law/human rights and provide other assistance to the network in coordination with network mentors, conduct research on human rights violations in Tajikistan with particular emphasis on freedom of expression, produce several reports on the findings, and promote the awareness of journalists and the general public about international human rights standards guaranteeing freedom of expression.
Primary mentor:
Gordana Jankovic, OSI Network Media Program director
Other network contacts:
Anthony Richter, OSI-NY Central Asia program director
Oinikal Bobonazarova, local OSI consultant, OSCE head, law professor
Jack Willis, OSI-NY resident senior fellow (suggested by Gara LaMarche)
Miklós Sükösd, CEU professor of media studies
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List of Fellows with Project Descriptions
