Margvelashvili will share his perspective as both a philosopher and as the former president of an ex-Soviet bloc country that, since declaring independence in 1991, has been in an almost constant state of tension or conflict with Russia. Margvelashvili has been outspoken in his support for the people of Ukraine and his admiration for their resilience in the face of Russian aggression. In May 2022, he spoke to members of the (CUP), an initiative facilitated by the Nanovic Institute, who met at Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University, Tbilisi, to discuss the role of universities in resilience and recovery.��

Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., vice president and associate provost for interdisciplinary initiatives and associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, was among the representatives from Notre Dame who met Margvelashvili at the CUP conference and will introduce the Nanovic Forum lecture.��

“We are honored to host Mr. Margvelashvili at Notre Dame,” Father Dowd said. “He has demonstrated great courage in championing democracy and human rights in the Republic of Georgia and beyond. We need such champions now more than ever.” 

Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute and professor of social ethics in the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, said those who met Margvelashvili in Tbilisi were impressed by his depth of knowledge and clarity of analysis, and he is delighted to welcome him to Notre Dame.

“As we approach the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Margvelashvili’s perspective as the leader of a former Soviet bloc republic and an eyewitness to Russian aggression in that region in recent decades will be invaluable,” Sedmak said.��������

After meeting young Ukrainians during a recent trip to their country, Margvelashvili described them as being equipped with a deep sense of confidence in their cause. “Being on the right side,” he said, “translates other feelings into something you would call a positive and an emotional drive. [Resilience] lies not only in emotional thoughts but in this feeling of being on the right side of the good.”��������

Margvelashvili, an academic and politician, served as the fourth president from 2013 to 2018. Born in Tbilisi in 1969, he obtained a doctorate in philosophy from Tbilisi State University in 1998. As an academic, he has been primarily affiliated with the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) where he served two terms as rector in 2000-06 and 2010-12. By 2012, Margvelashvili had become known in Georgia as a frequent commentator on the country’s politics and society and a critic of then-president Mikheil Saakashvili. After the Georgian Dream coalition won the October 2012 parliamentary election, the new prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili, appointed Margvelashvili as minister of education and science and, in February 2013, first deputy prime minister.��  

In October 2013, Margvelashvili won Georgia’s presidential election as the candidate from the Georgian Dream coalition with 62 percent of the vote. As president, he focused on foreign policy, Georgia’s integration into NATO and the EU, and grassroots campaigns engaging youth and students in discussions on constitutional and electoral reform. He was also vocal in his support for minority and LGBTQ+ rights. When his first term ended in December 2018, Margvelashvili did not seek re-election and returned to GIPA to teach politics.��������

The Nanovic Forum deepens Notre Dame’s rich tradition of making connections to Europe by bringing European leaders from a variety of academic, cultural and professional fields to campus to discuss important issues. Past speakers have included Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, former president of Croatia; Horst Koehler, former president of Germany; and Hanna Suchocka, former prime minister of Poland, as well as other prominent leaders in education, law, government and the arts. Established in 2011, the forum is made possible through the continued generosity of Robert and Elizabeth Nanovic.��

The Nanovic Institute for European 91��Ƶ at the University of Notre Dame is an interdisciplinary home for students and faculty to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, beliefs, histories and institutions that shape Europe today. As part of the the institute is helping to advance integral human development through research, policy and practice.�� 

A complete list of the Nanovic Forum series and a video archive of the past lectures are available on the Nanovic Institute .

Originally published by Gráinne McEvoy at  on Feb. 1.

The $10,000 , one of the preeminent prizes for European studies, is awarded each year to the best book that transcends a focus on any one country, state or people to stimulate new ways of thinking about contemporary Europe as a whole. This year’s cycle of the award considered books in history and the social sciences published in 2020 or 2021.

In its statement, the final jury praised Ghervas’ work as brilliantly conceived, superbly executed and timely. The book, which integrates political, diplomatic, military, legal and intellectual history covering the entire European continent over more than three centuries, is a “highly original, analytically penetrating, magisterial narrative,” they stated.

“Stella Ghervas’ subject matter — postwar peacemaking and international efforts to sustain peace — could hardly be timelier or more important,” the jury wrote. “With a mastery of discrete bodies of scholarship that range from the 17th-century Peace of Westphalia to today’s European Union and its discontents, she compares the diverse ways in which European diplomats and politicians navigated the peace processes that concluded the War of the Spanish Succession, the Napoleonic Wars, World Wars I and II and the Cold War.”

The jury also lauded Ghervas’ reconstruction of a dialectical tradition and tension between proponents of a realist-minded balance of powers and protagonists who sought to fashion an ethos conducive to “perpetual (enduring) peace.”

“Beyond its virtuosic achievement as a work of history, ‘Conquering Peace’ is conspicuous for its present-day relevance and practical applicability,” they added. “Without ever letting distorting presentisms compromise her scholarly integrity or sophistication, Ghervas is alert to current tensions, challenges, and antagonisms among European states and beyond them. One can only hope that all professional diplomats, as well as politicians engaged in international affairs, will read and learn from this wise book.

“‘Conquering Peace’ is a stunning accomplishment that is destined to become a classic in modern European diplomatic history, political history, international relations and peace studies. It is eminently worthy of the Nanovic Institute’s Laura Shannon Prize for 2023.”

The final jury also awarded two Laura Shannon Prize Silver Medals, which carry a monetary prize. Emily Greble, professor of history and of German, Russian and East European studies at Vanderbilt University, was selected for her work “Muslims and the Making of Modern Europe,” published by , and Mira Siegelberg, university associate professor in the history of international political thought at Cambridge University, was honored for her book, “Statelessness: A Modern History,” published by .

The 2023 prize jury was composed of an accomplished group of scholars from history and the social sciences: Laura Lee Downs, professor of history at the European University Institute; Brad S. Gregory, the Henkels Family College Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame; Katy Hayward, professor of political sociology at Queen’s University Belfast; Eileen M. Hunt, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame; and Helmut Walser Smith, the Martha Rivers Ingram Professor of History at Vanderbilt University.

Now in its 14th year, the Laura Shannon Prize is made possible through a generous endowment from Laura Shannon (1939-2021) and her husband, Michael, class of ’58. Laura Shannon became a member of the Nanovic Institute’s advisory board in 2003 and served for many years. As well as her work in social services and family court mediation, she was a regular visitor to Europe, particularly to France where she honed her language skills and explored libraries and cultural centers. Claire Shannon Kelly is carrying on her parents’ legacy as a member of the institute’s advisory board.

The Laura Shannon Prize is now for its 2024 prize in the humanities. European studies books published in 2021 or 2022 are eligible, with nominations due Feb. 15.

The Nanovic Institute seeks to enrich the intellectual culture of Notre Dame by creating an integrated, interdisciplinary home for students, faculty and visiting scholars to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, traditions, beliefs, moral challenges and institutions that shape Europe. The institute is an integral part of Notre Dame’s .

For additional information about the Nanovic Institute and the Laura Shannon Prize, visit .

Grabar-Kitarović was elected president of the Republic of Croatia in January 2015, a position she held until February 2020. The fourth person to serve in this role since Croatia’s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, she was also the first woman and, at 46, the youngest person to assume the presidency. Since the 1990s, Grabar-Kitarović has held a number of governmental and diplomatic posts, including to the EU and the U.S., and has received numerous national and international awards. In 2019, she was awarded a from the Fulbright Association, which recognized Grabar-Kitarović’s remarkable contributions as a leader, diplomat and public servant who “embodies the best of leadership in times of unrelenting global crises.”

Born in Rijeka, Croatia, in 1968, Grabar-Kitarović studied in New Mexico as a teenager, graduating from Los Alamos High 91��Ƶ in 1986. After her return to Croatia, she enrolled at the University of Zagreb where she completed a bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish in 1993 and a master’s degree in international relations in 2000. She later received fellowships for graduate study in the U.S. From 2002 to 2003, Grabar-Kitarović was a predoctoral Fulbright scholar in international relations and security policy at George Washington University, and in 2009, she was a at the JFK 91��Ƶ of Government at Harvard University.

Her political career began in 1992 in Croatia’s Ministry of Science and Technology and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where her roles included head of department for North America, positions in Croatia’s embassy in Canada and, from 2001 to 2003, minister counselor. In November 2003, Grabar-Kitarović was elected member of Parliament. As a government minister, she held the position of minister of European integration (2003-05) and minister of foreign affairs and European integration (2005-08), heading up the Croatian delegation that negotiated the republic’s Euro-Atlantic integration and accession to the European Union. In 2008, she became the ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the U.S. and in 2011, she was appointed NATO assistant secretary-general for public diplomacy, making her the highest-ranking woman in NATO. In January 2015, Grabar-Kitarović was elected Croatia’s fourth president, representing the conservative Croatian Democratic Union. Since 2020, she has represented her nation on the International Olympic Committee.

“We are honored to welcome President Grabar-Kitarović to the Keough 91��Ƶ and to Notre Dame,” said Scott Appleby, the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs. “Her groundbreaking career in government, diplomacy and public service has been distinguished by a commitment to global security and environmental stewardship, to the inclusion of the disadvantaged and voiceless in educational, economic and social opportunities, and to the quest for lasting peace in Europe. We welcome her as a friend and ally in these and other campaigns in support of human dignity.”

The Nanovic Forum deepens Notre Dame’s rich tradition of connections to Europe by bringing European leaders from a variety of academic, cultural and professional fields to campus to discuss issues of major importance in Europe. Established in 2011, the forum is sponsored by Robert and Elizabeth Nanovic.

“President Grabar-Kitarović’s impressive career is testament to the value of study and research abroad and of encounter and engagement with people and cultures beyond your own. She has turned these experiences into a life of public service and pursuit of the common good both in her home country of Croatia and on the international stage,” said Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute and professor of social ethics in the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs. “In these ways, she is an inspiration to our students and her perspectives on Russian aggression and the war in Ukraine will be invaluable to the Notre Dame community. As always, we are very grateful to Bob and Liz Nanovic for the continued generosity that makes the Nanovic Forum possible.”

Past speakers in the Nanovic Forum have included European political leaders Horst Koehler, former president of Germany, and Hanna Suchocka, former prime minister of Poland, as well as other prominent leaders in education, law, government and the arts.

The Nanovic Institute for European 91��Ƶ at the University of Notre Dame is an interdisciplinary home for students and faculty to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, beliefs, histories and institutions that shape Europe today. As part of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, the institute is helping to advance integral human development through research, policy and practice.

A complete list of the Nanovic Forum series and a video archive of the past lectures are available on the Nanovic Institute .

Originally published by Gráinne McEvoy at on Sept. 28.

A native of Verona, Italy, Archbishop Gugerotti was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Verona in 1982. He obtained degrees in Eastern languages and sacred liturgy and, between 1981 and 1985, taught patristics, theology and Eastern liturgy at the Institute of Ecumenical 91��Ƶ and San Zeno Theological Institute, both in Verona. In 1985, Archbishop Gugerotti was appointed as an official at the Congregation for the Eastern Churches and became its undersecretary in 1997. Since December 2001, he has been apostolic nuncio — the pope’s representative — to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine and, from July 2020, Great Britain.  

“While serving as an apostolic nuncio for over 20 years in six different nations, Archbishop Gugerotti has become one of the Church’s most experienced, respected and accomplished diplomats,” University of Notre Dame President , said. “Having recently concluded his mission in Ukraine — where I first met him — in order to become the pope’s representative to the United Kingdom, Archbishop Gugerotti has ably advocated for the Church’s diplomatic positions on some of Europe’s most pressing challenges. I am grateful that he will deliver the Keeley Vatican Lecture and share his experience and wisdom.”

“We look forward to welcoming Archbishop Gugerotti to Notre Dame, albeit virtually,” said Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute and professor of social ethics in the , who will provide the introduction. “The archbishop brings with him a breadth of experience that is unique and highly relevant, particularly from his time as the pope’s representative in Ukraine. The annual Keeley Vatican Lecture aims to support Notre Dame’s distinctive goal of providing a forum where Catholic thought can intersect, in free and open discussion, with all forms of human knowledge. We continue to be grateful to our benefactor and friend Terry Keeley for the generosity that makes this lecture series possible.” 

The Keeley Vatican Lecture, facilitated annually by the Nanovic Institute, provides a way to deepen Notre Dame’s connection to the Holy See by bringing distinguished representatives from the Vatican to explore questions surrounding the University’s Catholic mission. Established in 2005 through the generous support of 1981 alumnus Terrence R. Keeley, lecturers typically spend several days on campus, joining classes, celebrating Mass with students and conversing with faculty members.

Past Keeley Vatican Lectures have included Rev. Fr. Hans Zollner, Barbara Jatta, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher and Ukrainian Archbishop Borys Gudziak. An archive of videos of past lectures is available .

An integral part of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, the Nanovic Institute seeks to enrich the intellectual culture of Notre Dame by creating an integrated, interdisciplinary home for students, faculty and visiting scholars to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, traditions, beliefs, moral challenges and institutions that shape Europe.

More information about the Nanovic Institute and the Keeley Vatican Lecture is available at .

Originally published by Gráinne McEvoy at on Sept. 14.

Since the late 1980s, Applebaum has reported and commented on global political and economic change for leading publications in both the U.S. and Europe including The New York Times and The Guardian. With her particular focus on Eastern Europe, she has sounded an alarm about the rise of authoritarianism and its threat to liberal democracy in the West, especially in the last decade. In recent months, Applebaum has provided frequent and invaluable commentary on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During this conversation, she will reflect upon nationalism and autocracy in Putin’s Russia and, through the lens of Ukraine, the threat posed by despotic leaders to democracies around the world.��

Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute and professor of social ethics in the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, welcomes Applebaum to Notre Dame. “The Nanovic Forum is always a wonderful opportunity to host important voices and to connect all branches of the Notre Dame community to Europe through discussion of complex issues and big questions. Anne Applebaum is an astute and experienced observer of anti-democratic trends, and her insights are acutely valuable at a time when there is an urgent need to understand the lure of authoritarianism. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has disrupted our world order and demonstrated the fragility of political structures that we may take for granted. Our friends in Ukraine are grateful for fora to reflect on these issues and to understand freedom, peace and solidarity more deeply. As always, we are very grateful to Bob and Liz Nanovic for the continued generosity that makes the Nanovic Forum possible.”  

Applebaum will be in conversation with , professor of law and global affairs with a joint appointment in the and the . Desierto is a faculty fellow of the Nanovic Institute and several other units within the Keough 91��Ƶ.  

Desierto describes Applebaum as “one of the leading historian-journalists today who speak truth to power about the continuing spread of democratic backsliding and authoritarianism all over the world, but most especially with its resurgence in Eastern Europe. Her historian’s acuity towards the fraying of human rights and fundamental freedoms, coupled with her journalist’s lens for the deterioration of checks and balances in many democracies around the world, is a much-needed voice to understand why the liberal, rules-based, international system is under siege everywhere, especially in Ukraine.”

Born in Washington, D.C., in 1964, Applebaum is a graduate of Yale University and was a Marshall Scholar at the London 91��Ƶ of Economics and St. Antony’s College, Oxford. From 1988 to 1991, Applebaum covered the collapse of communism as the Warsaw correspondent for The Economist and The Independent. She was a Washington Post columnist for 15 years and has held positions as the foreign and deputy editor of The Spectator (London), political editor of The Evening Standard and a columnist at Slate, the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. Applebaum is currently a staff writer for The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins 91��Ƶ of Advanced International 91��Ƶ.��

In addition to reportage and essays, Applebaum is the author of a number of books. These include “Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine” (Random House, 2017) and “Gulag: A History” (Doubleday, 2003), which won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction and was a National Book Award finalist. In 2021, she published “Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism” in which she explains why elites in democracies around the world are turning away from liberal democracy and toward nationalism and authoritarianism. Of this transformation, Applebaum writes, “there is no single explanation, and I will not offer either a grand theory or a universal solution. But there is a theme: Given the right conditions, any society can turn against democracy. Indeed, if history is anything to go by, all of our societies eventually will.” 

The Nanovic Forum deepens Notre Dame’s rich tradition of connections to Europe by bringing European leaders from a variety of academic, cultural and professional fields to campus to discuss issues of major importance in Europe today. Established in 2011, the forum is sponsored by Robert and Elizabeth Nanovic.  

Past speakers in the Nanovic Forum have included David Alton (Lord Alton of Liverpool), British parliamentarian and human rights campaigner; Myroslav Marynovych, Ukrainian activist and vice rector for university mission at Ukrainian Catholic University; David O’Sullivan, former ambassador of the EU to the U.S.; Janne Haaland Matláry, former state secretary of Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and other prominent leaders in education, law, government and the arts.��

The Nanovic Institute for European 91��Ƶ is an interdisciplinary home for students and faculty to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, beliefs, histories and institutions that shape Europe today. As part of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, the institute is helping to advance integral human development through research, policy and practice.  

A complete list of the Nanovic Forum series and a video archive of the past lectures are available on the Nanovic Institute .��

Originally published by Gráinne McEvoy at on April 21.

A native of Regensberg, Germany, Father Zollner is one of the Catholic Church’s leading experts on the safeguarding and protection of minors and vulnerable people from sexual abuse. A theologian, psychologist and licensed psychotherapist, he is Ordinary Professor at the Institute of Psychology and founding president of the (formerly the Center for Child Protection), both at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 2014, he was appointed by Pope Francis to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and reappointed for a second term in 2018.��

Father Zollner has spoken in more than 70 countries about the Church’s role in combatting childhood sexual abuse, and he has played a leading role in international meetings on this issue, including the world congress “Child Dignity in the Digital World” (2017) and the summit on “Child Protection in the Vatican” (2019). At the launch of the Institute of Anthropology in October 2021, Father Zollner said “it happens far too often that we disregard the reality that we are all born with this inherent dignity given to each and every human by the hands of God.” He dedicated the institute to “a greater movement and a change in the world that goes beyond simply acknowledging what has gone on oftentimes right underneath our noses.”

“Few have been more devoted to the critical work of ridding the Church of the sin of sexual abuse, protecting the vulnerable, and caring for victim-survivors, than Father Hans Zollner,” Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., said.��“As one of the most tenacious and skilled advocates for safe environments and accountability for all, Father Zollner honors us by sharing his wisdom and experience in the 2022 Keeley Vatican Lecture.”

Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of Notre Dame’s , Rev. John A. O'Brien College Professor of American 91��Ƶ and Nanovic Institute faculty fellow, will introduce Father Zollner. “The made a visionary choice in inviting Father Hans Zollner to deliver this year’s Keeley Vatican Lecture,” Sprows Cummings said. “He is relentless in his efforts to prevent the sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults; he is also fiercely committed to demanding transparency and accountability in seeking to understand the causes of this abuse, both within the Church and throughout the world. I deeply admire his expertise and his courage.”

The Keeley Vatican Lecture, facilitated annually by the Nanovic Institute, provides a way to deepen Notre Dame’s connection to the Holy See by bringing distinguished representatives from the Vatican to explore questions surrounding the University’s Catholic mission. Established in 2005 through the generous support of alumnus Terrence R. Keeley, lecturers typically spend several days on campus, joining classes, celebrating Mass with students and conversing with faculty members.

“We are delighted to welcome Father Zollner to Notre Dame,” said Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute and professor of social ethics in the . “This is an important visit addressing one of the most important challenges to the moral status of institutions and the credibility of the institutional Church. Father Zollner’s research focuses on prevention and protection as key pillars of safe institutions. His lecture is an opportunity to connect the Keeley Vatican Lecture to Nanovic’s special focus, as outlined in our , on those on the margins of European life. As a scholar and practitioner, he brings a depth of expertise, insight and compassion to an important conversation about how we can protect, listen to and cherish victims of appalling abuse and neglect.”

Past Keeley Vatican Lectures have included Dr. Barbara Jatta, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Rev. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., and Ukrainian Archbishop Borys Gudziak. An archive of videos of past lectures is available .

An integral part of the , the Nanovic Institute seeks to enrich the intellectual culture of Notre Dame by creating an integrated, interdisciplinary home for students, faculty and visiting scholars to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, traditions, beliefs, moral challenges and institutions that shape Europe.

More information about the Nanovic Institute and the Keeley Vatican Lecture, is available at .

In a lecture titled “A View from the UK Parliament: What We Must Do to Combat Genocide,” Alton will discuss the repeated failure to avert genocide in places like Europe’s Balkans and now in Xinjiang. He will reflect on his work for a forthcoming co-authored book exploring the crime of genocide, outline the ways in which authoritarian regimes — from Russia to China — have undermined the United Nations’ Genocide Convention, and explain the Genocide Amendment, which he pioneered through the U.K. Parliament in 2021.

“We very much look forward to welcoming Lord Alton to Notre Dame,” said Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute and professor of social ethics in the . “As a parliamentarian and campaigner, and as a Roman Catholic, Lord Alton has dedicated his life to highlighting human rights abuses and some of the most heinous crimes committed against marginalized peoples around the world. As well as demanding that the perpetrators be held to account, he has persisted in asking difficult questions about how the international community can do more to prevent such atrocities from recurring time and again. We look forward to benefiting from Lord Alton’s wisdom and engaging in challenging conversations during his visit.”

Alton began his career as a teacher working in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods. Active in politics since his teenage years, he was elected to Liverpool City Council in 1972 and became, at the age of 21, Britain’s youngest city councillor. In 1979, he took his seat in the House of Commons as the member of parliament for Liverpool Edge Hill representing the Liberal Party. Alton remained a member of the House of Commons for 18 years until 1997 when he was nominated to the House of Lords, where he sits as an Independent Life Peer. During his career working in both Houses of Parliament, Alton has served as spokesman, committee member and campaigner on a variety of issues from the environment and overseas aid to human rights and religious liberty issues. Since 2020, he has served on the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Select Committee.

The centerpieces of Alton’s long career have been his campaigns for human rights and the sanctity of human life in Britain, Europe and around the world. From within the British parliament and through extensive international travel, Alton has highlighted human rights abuses and genocidal activities against groups such as Chinese Muslim Uyghurs, Rohingya Muslims, Christians and Yazidis from Syria and Iraq and the peoples of Darfur and Rwanda. His work has also drawn attention to threats to religious freedom and the plight of Jewish and Christian dissidents in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He has received numerous international awards and honors in recognition of his activism, including being conferred a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory in 2008 in recognition of his work for human rights and religious liberty.

In December 2020, on atrocities against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang organized by the at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Alton criticized the indifference and silence of the international community that, he says, had allowed the Chinese Communist Party to “repeat the horrific excesses of the past.” Instead, he insisted, “those who have eyes should not avert them, those who have ears should use them to hear the cries for help, and those who have voices have a duty to raise them.”

The Nanovic Forum deepens Notre Dame’s rich tradition of connections to Europe by bringing European leaders from a variety of academic, cultural and professional fields to campus to discuss issues of major importance in Europe today. Established in 2011, the forum is sponsored by Robert and Elizabeth Nanovic.

“For more than a decade, the Nanovic Forum has provided an opportunity to connect all branches of the Notre Dame community to Europe through deep discussion and reflection on important issues such as dissent, human rights, freedom of thought and reconciliation,” said Sedmak. “As with previous speakers, Lord Alton’s forum will set the stage for conversations across campus. During his visit, there will be opportunities for students and faculty to engage with Lord Alton in smaller, more informal settings, in ways that we hope will inspire ideas and engagement across our community. As always, we continue to be grateful to Bob and Liz Nanovic for the generosity that makes the forum and its surrounding events possible.”

Past speakers in the Nanovic Forum have included Myroslav Marynovych, Ukrainian human rights activist and Gulag survivor; David O’Sullivan, former ambassador of the EU to the U.S.; Janne Haaland Matláry, former state secretary of Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Horst Koehler, former president of Germany; and other prominent leaders in education, law, government and the arts.

The Nanovic Institute for European 91��Ƶ at the University of Notre Dame is an interdisciplinary home for students and faculty to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, beliefs, histories and institutions that shape Europe today. As part of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, the institute is helping to advance integral human development through research, policy and practice.

A complete list of the Nanovic Forum series and a video archive of the past lectures are available on the . More information on Lord Alton may be found on .

Originally published by Gráinne McEvoy at on Feb. 9.

The $10,000 , one of the preeminent prizes for European studies, is awarded each year to the best book that transcends a focus on any one country, state, or people to stimulate new ways of thinking about contemporary Europe as a whole. This year’s cycle of the award considered books in the humanities published in 2019 or 2020.

In its statement, the final jury praised Cheek’s work for its rigor, ambition and craft:

“Pamela L. Cheek’s meticulously researched book on the evolution of European women’s writing into a distinct body of literature represents a ground-breaking contribution to the history of women’s writing and reading. In this geographically and intellectually ambitious work, Cheek deftly traces the development of transnational ‘ideational’ and actual communities of writing—and, importantly, reading—women, examining the networks and reciprocal influences of women authors and readers located in France, Germany, Holland and England.

Cheek moves effortlessly from compelling close readings of important individual female-authored works—whether by Françoise de Graffigny or Frances Burney—to adopting a more collective, comparative overview of women’s writing. She analyzes the interplay between aesthetic and commercial concerns that helped facilitate the burgeoning international circulation of female-authored texts in the European literary marketplace and women’s self-positioning within it. What was it about a literary text and its female protagonist(s) that made the individual (local) reader feel a principally gendered affiliation with its content, rather than one based on nationality or social class? During the long 18th century, women often had to look beyond their own national borders to find other female kindred spirits; the translation of works, many by women, allowed them to do this, transcending local cultural and linguistic specificities and forging a sense of transnational and transformative identity, and thus of gendered community. This ‘horizontal,’ egalitarian European sisterhood, Cheek argues, contrasts with a more ‘vertical’ masculine lineage of exceptional men influencing successive generations.

A remarkably wide-ranging and scholarly account of the consolidation of women’s writing as a transnational category of literature, ‘Heroines and Local Girls’ is an indispensable reference point for writers and readers interested in reception politics, literary history and women’s writing.”

The final jury also awarded a Laura Shannon Prize Silver Medal, which carries a monetary prize, to Susan Stewart, the Avalon Foundation University Professor in the Humanities and professor of English at Princeton University, for “The Ruins Lesson: Meaning and Material in Western Culture,” published by the . Commending Stewart’s expansive study of material culture, the final jury wrote:

“A fascinating and exceptionally erudite investigation of the cultural meaning of ancient ruins in Western culture, ‘The Ruins Lesson’ considers a wide range of places, times, artifacts, personal objects, religious practices and artistic forms ranging from architecture to visual art (printmaking and painting) to poetry. Susan Stewart, a much-respected literary critic, here turns her attention to the material realm. She surveys the physical and visible remains from antiquity, in order to consider the ways these ruins came to represent the high achievements of past civilizations and how artists and writers came to imagine them as both compelling and problematic insofar as they embody a narrative of decay as well as one of lost grandeur.

Stewart proves a discerning guide to the meanings of architectural ruins and their literary and pictorial histories, and her treatment of monuments and memorials as both expressions and reflections on how to think about history and material remains is timely: ‘If we can commit ourselves to judging together, out of the vast raw material of human achievement and errors, what is ethical and worthwhile, beautiful and good, useful and true, the fragility of materials is inconsequential’ (269). In addition to the work’s stunning intellectual breadth and scope, the author’s elegant and evocative prose contributes to its overall beauty.”

Finally, the jury gave an Honorable Mention to Barbara Mennel, the Rothman Chair and Director of the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere and professor of film studies and German studies at the University of Florida, for her book “Women at Work in Twenty-First-Century European Cinema,” published by the . In its statement, the final jury praised Mennel’s groundbreaking work: 

“Ranging across both arthouse and popular films from nearly two dozen European countries, Barbara Mennel’s ‘Women at Work’ illuminates the diverse representations of women’s labor in twenty-first century European cinema. This groundbreaking book embeds culture-specific approaches to working women within the broader contexts of global financial crises, neoliberal capitalism, precarity, migration and the ethics and economics of biotechnology. Admirably attentive to the diversity of European feminisms and cinematic idioms, Mennel explores both the transcending of female stereotypes and their durability. Many films she examines show how female economic empowerment often rests on the exploited domestic and reproductive labor of migrant women. A captivating overview of current European cinema, ‘Women at Work’ offers timely and discerning insight into the evolving meanings of feminism in contemporary Europe on both sides of the former Iron Curtain.”

The 2022 prize jury was composed of an accomplished group of scholars from across the humanities: Edyta Bojanowska, professor of Slavic languages and literatures and chair of the European 91��Ƶ Council at Yale University’s MacMillan Center; Stephen M. Fallon, the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., Professor of the Humanities at the University of Notre Dame; Robin Jensen, the Patrick O’Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame; Siobhán McIlvanney, professor of French and Francophone women’s writing at King’s College London; and, Lenart Škof, professor of philosophy and religion and head of the Institute for Philosophical 91��Ƶ at Science and Research Center Koper (ZRS Koper), Slovenia.

Now in its 13th year, the Laura Shannon Prize is made possible through a generous endowment from Laura Shannon (1939-2021) and her husband, Michael, class of ’58. Laura Shannon became a member of the Nanovic Institute’s advisory board in 2003 and served for many years. As well as her work in social services and family court mediation, she was a regular visitor to Europe, particularly to France where she honed her language skills and explored libraries and cultural centers. Claire Shannon Kelly is carrying on her parents’ legacy as a member of the institute’s advisory board.

The Laura Shannon Prize is now for its 2023 prize in history and the social sciences. European studies books published in 2020 or 2021 are eligible, with nominations due Feb 15.

The Nanovic Institute seeks to enrich the intellectual culture of Notre Dame by creating an integrated, interdisciplinary home for students, faculty, and visiting scholars to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, traditions, beliefs, moral challenges and institutions that shape Europe. The institute is an integral part of Notre Dame’s . For additional information about the Nanovic Institute and the Laura Shannon Prize, visit .

Originally published by Gráinne McEvoy at on February 01, 2022.

In a lecture titled “Faith in Communist and Post-Communist Europe,” Marynovych will talk about his personal experiences both before and after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, reflecting particularly upon the role of his own deep Christian convictions.

“We are delighted to welcome Mr. Marynovych to Notre Dame,” said Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute and professor of social ethics in the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs. “This is an exceptional opportunity to hear and discuss the perspective of a person who confronted and was subjected to Soviet repression, and then harnessed that experience to advocate activism, dissent, dialogue and reconciliation. He is truly a VIP: a very inspiring person, who can teach us a lot about resilience and faith.”

Through activism that has spanned four decades, Marynovych has championed political dissent, human rights, dialogue, cooperation and reconciliation. In 1976, he became a founding member of the human rights organization Ukrainian Helsinki Group. The following year, he was arrested for anti-Soviet agitation and spent a decade as a prisoner of conscience, first in a Siberian prison camp and then in exile in Kazakhstan. After his release in 1987, Marynovych helped found a Ukrainian unit of Amnesty International, the organization that worked to protect him during his imprisonment. Later, he became president of the Ukrainian Center of PEN International, the association of writers devoted to intellectual cooperation and freedom of expression.

Since the 1990s, Marynovych has been a leader at the Ukrainian Catholic University, including his present roles as vice-rector of university mission and president of the Institute of Religion and Society. Rooted in his faith, this more recent work focuses on inter-ethnic and interreligious reconciliation and cooperation, and includes membership of the “First December” Initiative and the Nestor Group of Ukrainian intellectuals. Marynovych has written several books in Ukrainian and two in English, including “,” which was published earlier this year.

During in June, Marynovych reflected on the ways in which his experience has shaped his conception of freedom. He said, “freedom meant for me — and still means for me — to follow the orders or advice of my conscience.”

Marynovych emphasized the importance of maintaining one’s principles even in the face of danger. “For me,” Marynovych explained, “freedom means not giving up when there is some danger [forcing] you to reject [your] values ... human dignity, goodness, solidarity in a positive sense and so on. This is freedom to me—to follow my conscience.”

The Nanovic Forum deepens Notre Dame’s rich tradition of connections to Europe by bringing European leaders from a variety of academic, cultural and professional fields to campus to discuss issues of major importance in Europe today. Established in 2011, the forum is sponsored by Robert and Elizabeth Nanovic.  

“The Nanovic Forum presents a wonderful opportunity to connect all branches of the Notre Dame community to Europe through deep discussion and reflection on complex and important issues such as dissent, freedom of thought and reconciliation,” said Sedmak. “The forum itself is also the epicenter for ripples across campus. During his visit, Mr. Marynovych will be able to engage with students and faculty in smaller, more direct settings — in classrooms or over lunch, for example — sparking conversations across our community. We are extremely grateful to Bob and Liz Nanovic for the continued generosity that makes this possible.”

Past speakers in the Nanovic Forum have included David O’Sullivan, former ambassador of the EU to the U.S.; Janne Haaland Matláry, former state secretary of Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Horst Koehler, former president of Germany; Rolf-Dieter Heuer, former director-general of CERN, the European organization for nuclear research; and other prominent leaders in education, law, government, and the arts.

The Nanovic Institute for European 91��Ƶ at the University of Notre Dame is an interdisciplinary home for students and faculty to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, beliefs, histories and institutions that shape Europe today. As part of the , the institute is helping to advance integral human development through research, policy and practice.

A complete list of the Nanovic Forum series and a video archive of the past lectures are available on the .

Originally published by Gráinne McEvoy at on September 08, 2021.

“At the Nanovic Institute, we are committed to nurturing Notre Dame’s love for Europe and its growing interest in European studies,” said Sedmak. “I am excited to lead an institute that, for almost three decades, has served students and faculty across academic disciplines, supported the continued development of Catholic higher education across Europe and engaged in forging closer ties between the U.S. and Europe.

“Our mission is to bring Notre Dame to Europe and Europe to Notre Dame. My fantastic colleagues at the institute, our wonderful faculty fellows and the generous members of our advisory board make this mission a reality. I am grateful for this responsibility. As part of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, Nanovic will continue to envision European issues as global matters.”

A native of Austria, Sedmak holds doctoral degrees in philosophy, theology and social theory, and has studied at the University of Innsbruck, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), Maryknoll in New York and the University of Linz. Before coming to Notre Dame in 2017, he was the FD Maurice Professor for Moral Theology and Social Theology at King’s College London. Sedmak also held multiple positions at the University of Salzburg, including as director of the Center for Ethics and Poverty Research and chair for epistemology and philosophy of religion.��

The author of numerous publications in English and German, Sedmak’s areas of expertise include Catholic social tradition, social ethics, poverty and theories of justice. He is particularly interested in normative questions and the situation of the most disadvantaged members of society. Sedmak has edited a seven-volume series on European values and, in 2019, he co-edited “Absolute Poverty in Europe,” published by Policy Press, exploring the margins of European societies. In his 2016 book, “A Church of the Poor,” Sedmak offered an analysis of the Church’s commitment to the most vulnerable.

“Clemens Sedmak is held in high esteem by his students and faculty and staff colleagues for his intellectual depth and range, superabundant energy and generosity, playful spirit and seriousness of purpose,” said , the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs. “This remarkable combination of virtues has already served the Nanovic Institute well during his term as interim director. I expect even greater things in the years ahead for the Nanovic Institute, the Keough 91��Ƶ and Notre Dame.”

Robert and Elizabeth Nanovic, the institute’s founding benefactors and advisory board members, have also welcomed Sedmak’s appointment. “Liz and I enthusiastically welcome Clemens as the new director of the European Institute,” said Robert Nanovic. “His resume is impeccable and powerful. His personality, vision and energy have already won the respect and support of all his colleagues and everyone involved with the institute. He exudes enthusiasm and, as a European, truly authenticates the Nanovic Institute’s close ties to Europe.”

Founded in 1992, the Nanovic Institute is a teaching and research institute that provides an integrated, interdisciplinary home for students and faculty to explore the ever-changing ideas, cultures, beliefs and institutions that shape Europe today. As an integral part of the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, the institute plays a key role in the internationalization of Notre Dame, supporting the scholarship of more than 100 faculty fellows, sponsoring the professional and scholarly work of over 100 undergraduate and graduate students every year and administering an undergraduate minor in European studies.

Originally published by Gráinne McEvoy at on August 25, 2021.