Zuzana Čaputová Appointed the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow
Zuzana Čaputová Appointed the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow
Čaputová, formerly the president of Slovakia, will have simultaneous appointments across FSI.
The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford University is pleased to announce that Zuzana Čaputová, former president of Slovakia, has been named the new Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow at FSI, effective September 16, 2024.
As a Liautaud Fellow, Čaputová will be deeply enmeshed in the daily intellectual life of FSI, with simultaneous affiliations with the Institute’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, the Center on Democracy, Development and Rule of Law, and The Europe Center.
Having entered office on June 15, 2019, Čaputová was the first woman to serve as the president of Slovakia, as well as the youngest president in the country’s history. She began her civic activism in 1996, after graduating from the Comenius University Faculty of Law in Bratislava. During her studies, Čaputová worked in the local government of the Pezinok municipality and then transitioned into advocacy. Here, she closely worked with the non-profit sector on issues such as reforms of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, and accountability of public officials.
As a public interest lawyer, she took up cases related to the protection of the environment. One of the cases, of a landfill in Pezinok, resulted in a ruling by the European Court of Justice affirming that under the EU-wide law, the public must have access to urban planning decisions concerning the establishment of installations significantly affecting the environment. For her leadership on this case, she was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2016.
In 2020, Čaputová ranked #83 on the Forbes’ World's 100 Most Powerful Women list.
In 2017, Čaputová joined the Progressive Slovakian political party and was elected as a Vice-Chairwoman for the party. She also served as the Deputy Chair until 2019, when she resigned to launch her presidential campaign.
In February 2024, FSI hosted Čaputová for an event in Encina Hall, where she joined FSI director Michael McFaul for a fireside chat, and spoke about the challenges to democracy in Central and Eastern Europe 35 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain as well as the impact Russia's war on Ukraine is having on the region.
“I'm honored that President Čaputová is able to join our community here at Stanford,” said FSI director Michael McFaul. “She will find many eager collaborators among our scholar and student community interested in Slovakia, recent developments in Central and Eastern Europe, rule of law challenges, and democracy.”
Professor Scott Sagan, the director of FSI’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), added: “The faculty and fellows of CISAC are honored to have President Čaputová in residence at the Center this year. She is an inspiring political leader and will help us understand the perspectives of newer NATO members in this period of crisis and conflict.”
The Liautaud Fellowship brings former heads of state, senior policymakers, and other eminent experts to Stanford, with the goal of promoting meaningful dialogue on the challenges world leaders face in crafting policy solutions to pressing global problems. Previous Liautaud Fellows include Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former president and prime minister of Mongolia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of Estonia; Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, U.S. Army (Ret), former U.S. national security advisor; and Oleksiy Honcharuk, former prime minister of Ukraine. Ambassador Susan E. Rice, who had served in multiple high-level U.S. government roles, preceded Čaputová as the Institute’s most recent Liautaud Fellow, where she focused on the issue of governance of artificial intelligence.
Liautaud Fellows are welcomed into the FSI community, and are invited to participate in regular seminars, offer guest lectures in courses, work closely with faculty and students, and deliver a public address to the community.
“I am honored and excited to become the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow at FSI,” said President Čaputová. “I see this as an excellent opportunity to join a unique and inspiring academic environment, following a rather intense political period in my home country Slovakia. I am looking forward to engaging and collaborating with other colleagues and students on how to address some of the key global challenges our societies are facing today, such as threats to our democracies or the impact of social media on the quality of our democratic deliberations.”