Faculty Bio

Jitka Panek Jurkova has graduated from International Studies and Political Science at the University of Amsterdam in 2011, and is currently working on her PhD. dissertation at the Faculty of Humanities at Charles University in Prague. Ever since her undergraduate studies, she has been researching the various roles culture and arts can play in international relations. She consecrated both her Bachelor's and Master's thesis to cultural diplomacy, which is also the field of her practical expertise: she has been the advisor for the issues of cultural diplomacy both to the Czech and Israeli government, and has advised on cultural outreach to several NGOs. Currently, she is expanding her research in two ways: Examining the role of audience in cultural diplomacy; and dealing with culture as a tool of engagement in conflict environment. She has published on related issues in scholarly journals (International Journal of Cultural Policy, Urban People) as well as in other media (Respekt, e-politics.cz).