December 14, 2009
Central Europe is focus of new initiative created at SAIS
Johns Hopkins’ Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation of Vienna, Austria, last week announced a new initiative to support research and related activities focused on Central Europe. Daniel Hamilton, SAIS professor and founding director of the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations, will be appointed the first Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Professor to head the initiative.
Beginning in 2010, two outstanding scholars will be selected in an open, competitive process to conduct research at SAIS on important issues related to Central Europe. The Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Fellows will be appointed for a nine-month period, from October to June, each academic year. The call for applications for the 2010–2011 academic year is available at http://transatlantic.sais-jhu.edu.
“This grant honors the tremendous legacy of the Marshall Plan and the deep ties that have evolved between the United States, Austria and the people of Central Europe,” said Ferdinand Lacina, president of the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation, upon announcing the award. “We are also proud to deepen our association with Johns Hopkins University SAIS, which has a distinguished tradition of scholarship and made many contributions to greater transatlantic understanding.”
SAIS Dean Jessica Einhorn said, “We at SAIS are delighted that the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation has decided to underwrite Dr. Hamilton’s pioneering leadership in the arena of transatlantic relations. Austria has long had a special relationship with our school, especially through our Bologna Center in Italy. We have enjoyed a standing tradition of collaboration that will enter a new phase with the generous support of a prestigious foundation, whose very name reflects the deep connections between the people of Austria and the United States,” she said.
The Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan endowment established under Austrian law with funds from the original U.S. Marshall Plan to Austria following World War II. The foundation supports cooperation among Austrian and American universities and scholars. The foundation has provided core funding for the new program and will work with SAIS to secure further funding for the initiative.