Dr. Peter BALAZS

Professor and Director, Center for EU Enlargement Studies, Central European University, Budapest

1963	Graduated in Economics at the Budapest School of Economics
1963-1968	"Elektroimpex" Economist, Hungarian Foreign Trading Co.
1969-1982	Desk Officer, Director, Ministry of Foreign Trade
1982-1987	Counselor in charge of the EC, Hungarian Embassy
1987-1988	Prime Minister Office: responsible for international economic organisations
1988-1992	Director General for multilateral relations, Ministry of International Economics Relations
1992-1993	Permanent State Secretary supervising the sectors of industry, energy, building industry, trade and tourism, Ministry of Industry and Trade
1994-1996	Ambassador, Hungarian Embassy, Copenhagen
1997-2000	Ambassador, Hungarian Embassy, Bonn-Berlin
2000	Dr. habil of the Budapest School of Economics
2000-2002	Budapest University of Economics and Public Administration: Professor
2001-2003	Ministry of Foreign Affairs: State Secretary for Integration and External Economic Relations
2003	Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
2003-2004	Permanent Representation of Hungary to the European Union: Ambassador (Corepter II.)
2004	Member of the European Commission
2005-2009	Professor at the faculty of International and European Studies at the Central European University
2009-2010	Foreign Minister of the Republic of Hungary
	Director, Center for EU Enlargement Studies (CENS), CEU
since 2010	Professor, Central European University (CEU)

Mag. Dr. Madeleine MAHOVSKY

Member of Cabinet and Adviser of Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Brussels

1988	Masters (Magistra) and 1992 PhD (Doktor), University of Economics and Business Administration, Vienna, Austria
1993	, 1998, 2000 London School of Economics, Summer University
1983-1990	Freelance Journalist
1988-1989	Independent Researcher on Environmental Economics
1989-1990	Lecturer in Economics, University of Economics and Business Administration Vienna
1992-1995	Monetary Economist, Foreign Research Division, Oesterreichische Nationalbank
1996-1997	Policy Analyst for Pension Systems, DG Employment, European Commission
1997-1999	Policy Analyst, Unit Structural Actions, DG Budget, European Commission
1999-2004	Economic Analyst for Austria, DG Economics and Financial Affairs, European Commission
2004-2006	Senior Economist, Unit Conception and Analysis, DG Regional Policy, European Commission
2006-2007	Acting Head and Deputy Head, Unit Evaluation and Additionality, DG Regional Policy, European Commission
2007-2009	Adviser and Member of Cabinet to Danuta Hübner - Commissioner for Regional Policy, European Commission
	Since 2010 Adviser and Member of Cabinet to Johannes Hahn - Commissioner for Regional Policy, European Commission
2009-2010	Adviser and Member of Cabinet to Pawel Samecki - Commissioner for Regional Policy, European Commission

Dr.iur. Hans-Dietmar SCHWEISGUT

Ambassador of the European Union to the People's Republic of China and Mongolia, Beijing

1974	Graduation, Law Faculty (Dr. Jur.), Innsbruck University
1975	MCL, SMU, Dallas, USA
1975-1977	Postgraduate studies, Diplomatische Akademie Wien (Diplomatic Academy Vienna)
1977	Joins the Austrian diplomatic service
1979-1983	Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations, New York
1983-1984	Head of the office, State Secretary for Economic Coordination in the Austrian Federal Chancellery
1984-1986	Secretary and later head of the office to the Federal Minister for Public Economy and Transport of Austria
1986-1987	Economic advisor to the Austrian Federal Minister of Finance
1987-1991	Minister at the Austrian Embassy, Tokyo
	Institutions, European Integration, Customs and excise taxes
1991-1999	Director General for Economic Integration and Customs of the Federal Ministry of Finance, responsible for economic and monetary policy, international affairs, including the International Financial
1999-2003	Ambassador of Austria to Japan
2003-2007	Ambassador of Austria to the People's Republic of China
2007	-2010 Permanent Representative of Austria to the European Union in Brussels
2011	-2014 Ambassador of the European Union to Japan

Dr. Raimund LÖW

Bureau Chief, ORF - Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, Brussels

	Studium der Neueren Geschichte und Politikwissenschaften, Universitäten Lausanne (CH) und Wien
	Aktiv in der Wiener Studentenbewegung
	Historische Forschungen zu zeitgeschichtlichen Themen und Lehrtätigkeit an verschiedenen Universitäten
	Mitarbeit, Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Geschichte der Arbeiterbewegung
	Referate und Beiträge auf Internationalen Historikerkongressen in Linz, Mexico City, Amsterdam
	Lehrtätigkeit, Universitäten Nottingham, Wien, Salzburg und Innsbruck
	Forschungstätigkeit, Amsterdam, Zagreb, Belgrad und Ljubljana
	Seit Mitte der 80er-Jahre Schwerpunkt auf aktueller journalistischer Berichterstattung im Österreichischen Rundfunk (ORF), Wien
1989-1991	Korrespondent des ORF, Moskau
1991-1997	sowie
2003-2007	Korrespondent und Büroleiter, ORF-Büro, Washington
seit 2007	Büroleiter, ORF-Büro, Brüssel