Invitation to Guest Lecture: Prof. Dr. Vello Pettai

The UACS School of Political Science is honored to invite you to a guest lecture by Prof. Dr. Vello Pettai, Director of the European Centre for Minority Issues.

Topic: EU Enlargement and National Minorities
Date: Monday, March 10, 2025
Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Location: UACS, Room 3A

Prof. Dr. Vello Pettai is a distinguished political scientist specializing in comparative politics, post-communist political development, and minority issues. He currently serves as the Director of the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI), a position he has held since March 2020.

Before joining ECMI, Prof. Dr. Pettai was a Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Tartu in Estonia. His academic career at the university spanned over two decades, during which he contributed extensively to research on ethnic politics, democratization, and transitional justice. His scholarly work has been published in various international academic journals, and he has authored several books, including “Transitional and Retrospective Justice in the Baltic States” (Cambridge University Press, 2015).

In addition to his academic roles, Prof. Dr. Pettai has been actively involved in practical policy work. From 1997 to 1999, he served as Chair and Representative of the President of Estonia to the country’s Roundtable on National Minorities, leading initiatives related to Estonia’s compliance with the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and addressing issues of stateless children.

Prof. Dr. Pettai earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University in the United States. He is multilingual, with proficiency in six languages, including Estonian, German, French, Russian, and Latvian. His extensive experience and contributions to the fields of political science and minority issues have established him as a leading expert in his domain.

All UACS students are welcome to attend this enlightening lecture!