Tomaž Deželan is Professor of Political Science at the University of Ljubljana. Prof. Deželan pursued a research career at various research institutions (e.g. U Edinburgh, U Tallinn) and holds a Jean Monnet Chair in Citizenship Education. He is a member of the Pool of European Youth Researchers of the Youth Partnership (Council of Europe and European Commission) and acts as an expert on youth, political participation, employability and quality enhancement/assurance in education, civil society and the third sector. He is the coordinator of the PhD programme in American Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana. He has coordinated more than 30 research and application projects worth several million euros in the above-mentioned fields and has collaborated with numerous international governmental and non-governmental organisations and initiatives (OSCE ODIHR, OSCE, European Youth Forum, Peace Nexus, International IDEA, Social Progress Imperative, Council of Europe, European Commission, European Parliament, EACEA, ICF, WYG Consulting, etc.) as well as governments (Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Latvia, Montenegro). Prof. Deželan was one of the key experts for the Slovenian EU Presidency in the field of youth and co-authored the adopted Council Conclusions. He is author or co-author of more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, 25 chapters in edited volumes, 10 scientific monographs and editor of several edited volumes and special issues of journals (ISI ranking), as well as author of several policy, position and advocacy papers for various organisations (OSCE, International IDEA, EYF).