Publications · 18 February 2013
Achievements in Political Science to Be Recognised in Memory of Vitali Silitski. Nominations Open from 15 January to 28 February 2013
The Vitali Silitski Memorial Committee has established an award in his name, “For Contribution to the Development of Political Thought in Belarus”, in order to preserve the memory of the internationally known Belarusian political scientist, public intellectual and first director of BISS.
The Vitali Silitski Award aims to help preserve the traditions of high quality and professionalism in political science that Vitali Silitski established. Colleagues have repeatedly noted that it was he who brought Western standards into Belarusian political science, while retaining his unique authorial style. He always responded vividly and sharply to everything that was happening in the country, made accurate forecasts and produced high-quality analysis, explaining complex matters in clear language.
Vitali’s last appeal to his friends and colleagues was: “I am dying, but make sure that the ideas I lived by continue to live.” To fulfil Vitali Silitski’s wish and to maintain the high standard he set, the Vitali Silitski Memorial Committee decided to establish the award in his name, “For Contribution to the Development of Political Thought in Belarus”.
Anyone may nominate candidates for the award through the website of the Vitali Silitski Memorial Committee: http://vitalisilitski.org/be. Works from 2012 are eligible if they represent a substantive analysis, analytical work or new perspective on events in Belarus from the standpoint of political science and belong to a Belarusian author. Nominations will be open from 15 January to 28 February.
The winner of the Vitali Silitski Award “For Contribution to the Development of Political Thought in Belarus” will be selected by a professional jury composed of well-known political scientists and public figures, including Uladzimir Rouda, Andrei Kazakevich, Dzianis Melyantsou, Ales Lahvinets, Valer Bulhakau and many others. If any jury member appears on the list of nominees, he or she may compete for the award by leaving the jury. The jury process will take place during March. The Vitali Silitski Award “For Contribution to the Development of Political Thought in Belarus” will be presented in early April 2013.
The organisers of the Vitali Silitski Award plan to make it an annual event.
The Vitali Silitski Memorial Committee was created by his friends and colleagues in May 2012, ahead of the anniversary of Vitali’s death. The well-known Belarusian political scientist and first director of the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies died of cancer on 11 June 2011.
For additional information, please contact the coordinators of the Vitali Silitski Memorial Committee at [email protected] or by phone: +375 29 1130908 Darya Slabchanka and +375 29 6260499 Mila Bertash.