Jan Švejnar
Encyclopedia
Jan Švejnar is a USA-based, Czech-born economist. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2008 election of the President of the Czech Republic.
An adviser to former Czech president Václav Havel
for almost a decade, Professor Švejnar is Director of the International Policy Center at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
, the Everett E. Berg Professor of Business Administration, and Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan
. He is also a founder and Chairman of CERGE-EI
in Prague (a joint workplace of the Charles University in Prague
and Economics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
that offers an American-style Ph.D. program in economics that educates the new generation of economists for Central
-East
Europe and the Newly Independent States). He also served as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ČSOB Bank
(until November 2007) and Co-Editor of the Economics of Transition. He is also a Fellow of the European Economic Association
and Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research
(London) and Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA, Bonn).
with a B.S in Industrial and Labor Relations and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics at the Princeton University
. His academic interests are in the areas of economic development and transition, labor economics and behavior of the firm. His research focuses on the determinants and effects of (a) government policies on firms and labor and capital markets, (b) corporate and national governance and performance, and (c) entrepreneurship. He is the author and editor of a number of books and has published widely in academic, policy and practitioner-oriented journals in advanced and emerging market economies, including the American Economic Review
, Econometrica
, Economica, Economics of Transition, European Business Forum, European Economic Review
, Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Development Economics
, and many others.
. His nomination came from a proposal of 10 Senators (party affiliation - KDU-ČSL: 2, ČSSD
: 3, SNK-ED: 1, independent: 4). In Parliament, his support was generally based on the Deputies and Senators elected for the Czech Social Democratic Party
(ČSSD) and the Green Party
.
On February 8, 2008, Švejnar faced Václav Klaus
, the incumbent Czech president, in the first round of presidential election held within the both chambers of the Czech Parliament
. In a second round on February 9, 2008, neither candidate gained the required majority of 140 votes in both chambers together. Václav Klaus
received 139 and Jan Švejnar 113 votes out of 278 votes cast in both chambers together.
In a third round on February 15, Klaus was re-elected with 141 votes out of 279 lawmakers present, one more than the required minimum, while Švejnar received 111 votes. Klaus' victory margin was supplied by 3 MP
s who were elected for the ČSSD.
An adviser to former Czech president Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
for almost a decade, Professor Švejnar is Director of the International Policy Center at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, often referred to as the Ford School, is a leading public policy school in the United States. Founded in 1914 as the Institute of Public Administration, it was named in 1999 after former President Gerald Ford, who was a 1935...
, the Everett E. Berg Professor of Business Administration, and Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He is also a founder and Chairman of CERGE-EI
CERGE-EI
CERGE-EI is an academic institution that provides an American-style PhD program in economics, a US-chartered Master of Arts program in Applied Economics , and the UPCES study abroad program. CERGE-EI also conducts research in theoretical and policy-related economics...
in Prague (a joint workplace of the Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
and Economics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic was established in 1992 by the Czech National Council as the Czech successor of the former Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. The Academy is the leading non-university public research institution in the Czech Republic...
that offers an American-style Ph.D. program in economics that educates the new generation of economists for Central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
-East
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
Europe and the Newly Independent States). He also served as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ČSOB Bank
Ceskoslovenská obchodní banka
Československá obchodní banka, a.s. is a commercial bank which operates in Czech Republic. It is one of the largest bank domiciled in the Czech Republic. As a universal bank, it offers a full range of banking services to individuals and companies...
(until November 2007) and Co-Editor of the Economics of Transition. He is also a Fellow of the European Economic Association
European Economic Association
The European Economic Association is a professional academic body which links European economists. It was founded in the mid-1980s. Its first annual congress was in 1986 in Vienna, Austria...
and Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research
Centre for Economic Policy Research
The Centre for Economic Policy Research , a registered charity founded in 1983 by Richard Portes , FBA, CBE, is a network of over 700 researchers based mainly in universities throughout Europe, who collaborate through the centre in research and its dissemination...
(London) and Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA, Bonn).
Life
Švejnar went into exile in 1970 and later on graduated from Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
with a B.S in Industrial and Labor Relations and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics at the Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. His academic interests are in the areas of economic development and transition, labor economics and behavior of the firm. His research focuses on the determinants and effects of (a) government policies on firms and labor and capital markets, (b) corporate and national governance and performance, and (c) entrepreneurship. He is the author and editor of a number of books and has published widely in academic, policy and practitioner-oriented journals in advanced and emerging market economies, including the American Economic Review
American Economic Review
The American Economic Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal of economics publishing seven issues annually by the American Economic Association. First published in 1911, it is considered one of the most prestigious journals in the field. The current editor-in-chief is Penny Goldberg . The...
, Econometrica
Econometrica
Econometrica is a peer-reviewed academic journal of economics, publishing articles not only in econometrics but in many areas of economics. It is published by the Econometric Society and distributed by Wiley-Blackwell. Econometrica is one of the most highly ranked economics journals in the world...
, Economica, Economics of Transition, European Business Forum, European Economic Review
European Economic Review
The European Economic Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers research on the scientific approach to economics. The journal was established in 1969 and the editor-in-chief is G.A. Pfann . According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2010 impact factor of 1.162....
, Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Development Economics
Journal of Development Economics
The Journal of Development Economics is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Elsevier. It was established in 1974 and is considered the top field journal in development economics....
, and many others.
Run for Czech presidency
On December 14, 2007 he announced his candidacy for the position of Czech president in the upcoming indirect presidential electionIndirect election
Indirect election is a process in which voters in an election don't actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. It is one of the oldest form of elections and is still used today for many upper houses and presidents...
. His nomination came from a proposal of 10 Senators (party affiliation - KDU-ČSL: 2, ČSSD
Czech Social Democratic Party
The Czech Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Czech Republic.-History:The Social Democratic Czechoslavonic party in Austria was founded on 7 April 1878 in Austria-Hungary representing the Kingdom of Bohemia in the Austrian parliament...
: 3, SNK-ED: 1, independent: 4). In Parliament, his support was generally based on the Deputies and Senators elected for the Czech Social Democratic Party
Czech Social Democratic Party
The Czech Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Czech Republic.-History:The Social Democratic Czechoslavonic party in Austria was founded on 7 April 1878 in Austria-Hungary representing the Kingdom of Bohemia in the Austrian parliament...
(ČSSD) and the Green Party
Green Party (Czech Republic)
The Green Party is a political party in the Czech Republic.The party was founded in February 1990 but for a long time it struggled to obtain significant influence in Czech politics. In the 2002 legislative election the party received 2.4% of the vote...
.
On February 8, 2008, Švejnar faced Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
, the incumbent Czech president, in the first round of presidential election held within the both chambers of the Czech Parliament
Parliament of the Czech Republic
The Parliament of the Czech Republic is the legislative body of the Czech Republic, based in Prague. It consists of two chambers, both elected in direct elections:* the Lower House: Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic...
. In a second round on February 9, 2008, neither candidate gained the required majority of 140 votes in both chambers together. Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
received 139 and Jan Švejnar 113 votes out of 278 votes cast in both chambers together.
In a third round on February 15, Klaus was re-elected with 141 votes out of 279 lawmakers present, one more than the required minimum, while Švejnar received 111 votes. Klaus' victory margin was supplied by 3 MP
Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic
The Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of the Czech Republic. The seat of the Chamber of Deputies is situated in palaces in Malá Strana, Prague....
s who were elected for the ČSSD.
External links
- Biography at the University of Michigan
- If elected, 'U' prof. would drop U.S. citizenship (The Michigan Daily)
- Czech president probably not chosen in election (Czech Press Agency)