News
FOS Events & News
Friends of Slovakia Co-Hosts the Inaugural SlovakPRO Summit in New York!
Friends of Slovakia co-hosted the inaugural SlovakPro Summit in New York City on September 19, 2023. This historic event brought together a group of accomplished Slovaks from business, science, academia, arts, and technology. The summit was organized under the patronage of Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová by SlovakPRO in collaboration with the Consulate General of the […]
19
Sep
2023
By Friends of Slovakia
networking
Film Screening of The Killing of a Journalist Held In Washington D.C.
On Sunday, October 16th, members of the FOS Board and others from the Slovak American community attended the U.S. premiere screening of the documentary film, The Killing of a Journalist. The documentary was a part of DOUBLE EXPOSURE, the United States’ first and only film festival dedicated to the intersection between investigative reporting and visual storytelling. It […]
16
Oct
2022
By Friends of Slovakia
presentation
Third FOS Student Summit Concludes with Discussion of Ukraine War
Written by Dr. Elizabeth Guran, FOS Board Member The Ukraine War and its impact on democratic societies was the topic of the final Student Summit sponsored by Friends of Slovakia and its partners at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Over 60 students from Matej Bel University, […]
22
Apr
2022
By Friends of Slovakia
webinar
FOS Ready to Launch Its Third Student Summit
This report was prepared by Dr. Elizabeth Guran, chair of the FOS Committee on Academic Exchanges. The Friends of Slovakia (FOS) International Student Summits are off and running! Two successful virtual summits were held in 2021 and a third summit will occur in April 2022. All three events address the theme, “Challenges of Democracy.” The […]
11
Mar
2022
By Thomas W. Skladony
Announcement
FOS Launches New Program of Student Exchanges Between the U.S. and Slovakia!
FOS is thrilled to announce the launch of an exciting new program that aims to foster understanding, engagement, and friendship between university students from the United States and Slovakia. This unique initiative has been developed by the FOS Student Exchange Committee led by Dr. Elizabeth Guran (committee chair), and supported by other committee members including […]
21
Apr
2021
By Friends of Slovakia
Announcement
Freedom Lecture and Related Events in Washington Commemorate the Velvet Revolution’s 30th Anniversary
November 2019 marked the 30th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent events that brought freedom from communist domination to many countries of the former “Soviet-bloc.” In Czechoslovakia, public demonstrations, spearheaded by student movements, sparked the relatively peaceful downfall of the communist government and began the country’s “return to the West,” […]
18
Jan
2020
By Friends of Slovakia
webinar
Velvet @ 30: A Legacy to Uphold
On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, a forum titled Velvet @ 30: A Legacy to Uphold was held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The forum was co-sponsored by the Czech and Slovak Embassies in collaboration with Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. The event featured welcoming remarks by Joel Hellman, Dean of the Walsh […]
12
Nov
2019
By Friends of Slovakia
webinar
Attitudes About the Velvet Revolution
FOS Board members and others in the Washington foreign policy and Slovak-interest communities participated in a roundtable featuring former Slovak Ambassador Martin Bútora and his spouse, sociologist Dr. Zora Bútorová. The ambassadorial couple served in Washington, DC from 1999-2003 and had a significant impact on Slovak-U.S. relations, as well as opening Slovakia’s new embassy building […]
11
Nov
2019
By Friends of Slovakia
webinar
The Velvet Revolution: Celebrating 30 Years of Freedom (1989 – 2019)
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 had a significant impact on Eastern Europe’s political scene. In Czechoslovakia, the Communist regime was replaced by a democratic revolution, which was led by student movements and dissidents. November 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, a non-violent transition of power with demonstrations against the […]
01
May
2019
By Friends of Slovakia
webinar
“How Cleveland Played a Crucial Role in U.S. Diplomacy in Central Europe” with Amb. Tod Sedgwick
Former U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia and Friends of Slovakia Board of Advisors member Tod Sedgwick gave a fascinating luncheon presentation on “How Cleveland Played a Crucial Role in U.S. Diplomacy in Central Europe” on September 26, 2017. Ambassador Sedgwick gave a brief overview of the history of Slovak emigration to the U.S. He described why […]
30
Sep
2017
By Friends of Slovakia
presentation