MAGDA VÁŠÁRYOVÁ
Magda Vášáryová is a prominent Slovak actress, politician, and diplomat. In 1989, she accepted Václav Havel’s offer to serve as an Ambassador to Austria. After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, she played a role in establishing the Slovak Foreign Policy Association and served as its director for seven years. From 2000 to 2005, she served as the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Poland, followed by a position as the State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. She founded the VIA CULTURA Foundation and the Institute for Cultural Policy. In 2016, she was awarded the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Public Service Award and recognized for her lifelong fight against corruption. She is also a recipient of the Order of Ľudovít Štúr, 1st Class. Currently, she lectures at Cevro Institute in Prague.