HEDVIG MORVAI (Vienna, Austria)

Hedvig Morvai (Vienna, Austria)

Director of European Fund for the Balkans

Hedvig became an activist as part of a student organization and as member of numerous NGOs dealing with interethnic relations, promoting education and cross-border cooperation. She joined the student protests against the Milosevic regime in Serbia and she was part of the group that created the only festival in the world born out of protest – the EXIT Festival in Novi Sad. She committed herself to regional cooperation helping the Balkans to raise from the years of conflicts.

She successfully lead an innovative and creative regional campaign for abolishment of visa regime between the EU and Balkan countries, using such unconventional tools as literature, video games and festivals. Aa the director of European Fund for Balkans, with her team, she created and executed highly impactful programs focused on democratization and European integrations, by developing and supporting capacity building, policy development and networking involving both, the civic and public sector in the region and in the EU. Over 20 years she produced dozens of various but always dynamic and productive civic society events. From January 2019 Hedvig holds the position of Head, European Strategies at the Erste Foundation in Vienna.