Balázs Jarábik heads the Ukrainian office of the US-based international development agency Pact, Inc and works as associate analyst at the Madrid-based pan-European think tank FRIDE. He holds a B.A. in history from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia and a M.A. in political science from Eötvos Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, as well as a MSc in human rights from Columbia University in New York, USA. Balázs's expertise combines international development, particularly in democracy promotion and good governance projects, with applied policy analysis. Upon taking his current position, Balázs led the development and democratization programme at the Bratislava-based Pontis Foundation (2003-2006). Throughout his career, he has advised international institutions, such as the European Parliament, Freedom House and the OSCE; national institutions, namely the Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and various civic organizations across Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space. He has also participated in international electoral observation missions in Eurasia, the Balkans and South-East Asia. Balázs has published innumerable policy papers, newspaper articles and blog entries on the subject of development and democracy, focusing on the state of civil society around the globe. |