Anglo-American University Lecturer Appointed Chairwoman of ÚSTR Council

Dr. Monika MacDonagh-Pajerová, AAU lecturer and former diplomat, was elected chairwoman of the Council of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes (ÚSTR) on October 9, 2024.

MacDonagh-Pajerová is known for her role as a student leader in the Velvet Revolution of 1989, a key event in Czechoslovakia’s transition from communism to democracy, during which she served as the official spokesperson for the University Strike Committee and acted as a founding member of the Civic Forum, a political movement that advocated for democratic reforms in the country.

Following the Velvet Revolution, MacDonagh-Pajerová pursued a diplomatic career, serving as cultural attaché in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Czechoslovak embassy in Paris, as well as on the Cultural Committee for the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In addition to her diplomatic activities, she has hosted programs on European affairs for Czech television and radio and advocated for European integration, having led the organization ANO pro Evropu (YES for Europe), which successfully campaigned for Czech membership in the European Union.

MacDonagh-Pajerová holds a doctorate in literature from Charles University and is currently a lecturer in the School of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Anglo-American University in Prague. At AAU, she teaches courses on the transition to democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, the impact of Nazism and Communism on later democratic societies, and the relationship between Europe and the United States. She has also published articles and books on these subjects and her experiences during the Velvet Revolution. In 2000, MacDonagh-Pajerová was awarded a national book prize for her collaboration with Czech artist Jiří Kolář.

The ÚSTR Council is the governing body of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, a Czech institution responsible for researching and documenting totalitarian regimes in Europe. The council consists of seven members elected by the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. MacDonagh-Pajerová’s appointment as chairwoman follows her service as vice-chairwoman of the ÚSTR Council from 2022.

Those interested in studying under the tutelage of Dr. MacDonagh-Pajerová can contact the dean of the School of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences, Karen Grunow-Hårsta, at karen.grunow@aauni.edu.