EDU.INT

Celebrated Austrian Statesman Dr. Erhard Busek met recently with H.E. Irving Levance, the Secretary-General of the IGO EDU. Renowned for his wit and humour as well as for his formidable intellect, the former Vice-Chancellor of Austria did not disappoint.

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Dr. Busek boasts an impressive store of academic and political accolades won during a career which began with his graduation as a Doctor of Law from the University of Vienna in 1963 and becoming Secretary of the Parliament of the Austrian National Council in 1964.

 

The Jean Monnet Professor has a wide range of experience in government, yet he retains an irreverent charm no doubt gained during active engagement with democratic and dissident movements in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and the Former East Germany.

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His many years of service to his country saw him occupy positions at all levels of politics and government including General Secretary of the Austrian Federal of Trade and Commerce, General Secretary of the Austrian People’s Party, Member of Parliament, Chairman of the Vienna’s People’s Party, Deputy Mayor and City Councilor of the City of Vienna, Minister for Science and Research, Minister for Education, Special Representative of the Austrian Government for the Enlargement of the European Union and Special Co-Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South eastern Europe.

 

CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION

 

The valuable experience gained in tackling such disparate and challenging undertakings allows Dr. Busek to brief fluently and eloquently on a vast array of pertinent matters concerning governments, governance, intergovernmental undertaking, international cooperation and economics.

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Dr. Busek remains very active in world affairs as Coordinator for the influential Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) which has since 1996 been promoting, with some measure of success, stability, peace, democracy and the economy in an area of Europe that has known high levels of instability in recent decades.

 

He is also Chairman of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM), based in Vienna, which is dedicated to addressing current questions regarding the Danube region, Central and Southeast Europe to enhance knowledge about the region and promote good neighbourly relations.

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SEEMO AWARD

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The Secretary-General proffered his profound respect to the Austrian Statesman for his sponsorship of the ‘Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe. This award which carries a cash prize of €3,000, is offered in conjunction with the South East Europe Media Organization, an Affiliate of the International Press Institute.

 

The award honours journalists, editors, media executives, media experts, writers and journalism trainers in South East Europe who have contributed to promoting better understanding in the region and who have worked towards ending minority-related problems, ethnic divisions, racism, xenophobia, gender discrimination, homophobia etc.

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Dr. Busek presents the prize personally:  (website)

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H.E. Irving Levance thanked Dr. Erhard Busek for a most interesting address and wished him continued success in his academic and political career.