Prof. PhDr. Petr Fiala, Ph. D.

Rector of Masaryk University (since 2004), professor of political science and Jean Monnet Chair at the Department of International Relations and European Studies at the FSS MU, head of the Institute for Comparative Political Research FSS MU (since 2005). After studying history and Czech language at university in Brno (1983-1988) and unofficial study of political philosophy (1984-1989) he worked as a historian, journalist, and magazine and publications editor. After November 1989 he helped to found the Department of Political Science at Masaryk University, he was head of the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Arts (1993-1998) and at the Faculty of Social Studies (1998-2002); later he headed the newly-created Department of International Relations and European Studies (2002-2004), in 1996-2004 he was director of the International Institute of Political Science, MU; in 2004 he became dean of the Faculty of Social Studies MU. He specializes in comparative political science, European politics, and research on the political dimension of religion. He is author, co-author, and editor of a number of monographs and professional journals; he has published over one hundred specialized studies in journals and books in the Czech Republic and abroad. His newest monograph is Evropská unie [The European Union] (with M. Pitrová, Brno 2003), Die Verborgene Kirche (with J. Hanuš, Paderborn 2004), Eurostrany [Europarties] (with M. Mareš and P. Sokol, Brno 2007) and Evropský mezičas [European Halftime] (Brno 2007).

Room 447, phone (+420) 549 49 4411, e-mail: pfiala@fss.muni.cz