Launching Conference Report
On June 18-19, 2008, forty leading social scientists, ten policy experts, and over seventy other interested participants gathered at Central European University for the launching event of the Center for the Study of Imperfections in Democracy (DISC), entitled “The Qualities of Old and New Democracies”. The opening address was given by George Soros, entitled “A Conversation with George Soros: Some Insights on the Concept of Open Society”. The panel sessions focused on the multiple dimensions related to the qualities of democracy, such as “Clientelism and the Qualities of Democracy”, “Inequality and the Qualities of Democracy”, and “Social Networks and the Qualities of Democracy” (for a complete conference program, click here). The conference also included a keynote address entitled “The Difficult Birth of Muslim Democracies” given by Saad Eddin Ibrahim, an Egyptian democracy and human rights activist living in exile. During the conference, the participants also received the wonderful news that Saad Eddin Ibrahim was awarded the Pundik Freedom Award, presented by the Danish daily newspaper Politiken. The excellent contributions by the participants will shape and define DISC’s future programs. Policy papers written by policy experts in response to the conference are available in the DISC Working Paper series.
- Conference assistants, Lucia Kurekova and Vera Asenova, assist with registration
- CEU President and Rector, Yehuda Elkana, opens the conference.
- Carsten Schneider (CEU), Founding Director of DISC, welcomes participants.
- Participants listen during the opening session of the conference.
- Bo Rothstein (University of Gothenburg), Kai-Uwe Schnapp (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg), Jeff Isaac (Indiana University), and Ágnes Bátory (CEU) during the Normative and Empirical Dimension of Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Jeff Isaac (Indiana University) and Ágnes Bátory (CEU) participate in the Normative and Empirical Dimensions of the Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Participants listen to panel presentations.
- Bo Rothstein (University of Gothenburg) presents during the Normative and Empirical dimensions of Qualities of Democracy panel.
- George Soros shares insights on the concept of Open Society.
- Many gathered to participate in the conversation with George Soros.
- Alfred Stepan (Columbia University) adds to the discussion during George Soros’ keynote address.
- George Soros enjoys the conversation.
- Carsten Schneider (CEU), George Soros, and Terry Karl (Stanford University) continue the discussion.
- Participants enjoy a coffee break between panels.
- David Ost (Hobart and William Smith Colleges), Béla Greskovits (CEU), Dorothee Bohle (CEU), Barbara Stallings (Brown University), Philippe Schmitter (European University Institute), and Erin Jenne (CEU) participate in the Labor and Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Barbara Stallings (Brown University) presents and Béla Greskovits (CEU) listens.
- Steven Wilkinson (University of Chicago) and Erin Jenne (CEU) participating in the Clientelism and Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Philip Keefer (World Bank) presents during the Clientelism and Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Herbert Kitschelt (Duke University), Philip Keefer (World Bank), and Susan Stokes (Yale University) continue the discussion after the Clientelism and Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Susan Stokes (Yale University) presents during the Clientelism and the Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Herbert Kitschelt (Duke University) presents during the Clientelism and Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Participants gathered around the table for discussion on the second day of the conference.
- Péter Balázs (CEU) presents during the Integration and Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Policy experts and participants listen and engage in the debates.
- Balázs Vedres (CEU), László Bruszt (European University Intitute), and John Kelly (Columbia University) present during the Social Networks and Qualities of Democracy panel.
- Saad Eddin Ibrahim gives his keynote address, “The Difficult Birth of Muslim Democracies”.
- Participants listen to Saad Eddin Ibrahim.
- Thomas Carothers (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) shares insights at the round table discussion at the end of the conference.
- Susan Stokes (Yale University), Philippe Schmitter (European University Institute), and Zsolt Enyedi (CEU) enjoy a discussion with a view of the Danube.
- Conference participants continue discussions at the closing dinner at the Hungarian Academy of Science next to the Danube.
