On Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 12 PM, the Institute for European Studies will host a lecture by
Arnaud Gouillon,
Director of the Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy
PUBLIC AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN PRACTICE
Born in 1985 in Grenoble, France, Gouillon completed his primary education in his hometown of Jarrie and his secondary education in Vizille. At the age of 22, he obtained a Master’s degree in Environmental Protection Engineering from the Polytechnic School of the University of Grenoble. In 2012, he pursued a Master’s in Political Science at the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade, focusing on “The Political System of Serbia and its Institutions.” Between 2007 and 2010, he worked as an engineer in several companies in Paris, Bordeaux, Cairo, and Zvornik.
In 2011, he became the director of the French humanitarian organization “Solidarity for Kosovo,” which he founded in 2005 while still a student. In 2016, he established the Association for Birthrate and Retention of Youth in Serbia (INOMS) in Belgrade, aiming to inspire young people to stay in Serbia by showcasing positive and successful examples from the country and demystifying the idealized image of life abroad.
From November 2020 to June 2024, he served as Acting Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. In June 2024, the Government of the Republic of Serbia appointed him as Acting Director of the Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy.
Gouillon is the author of the book “All My Roads Lead to Serbia” and has co-authored and published three books in French about Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija:
- Au cœur de l’Europe Martyre (At the Heart of Europe’s Martyrdom), Édition L’Age d’Homme, 2013
- Peuples persécutés d’Orient (Persecuted Peoples of the East), Édition du Rocher, 2016
- À la Serbie (To Serbia), Un Infini Cercle Bleu, 2020
He produced the documentary “Kosovo: Christianity in Danger,” depicting the lives of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, which aired on RTS and the French television channel KTO.
In recognition of his humanitarian work, Gouillon was granted Serbian citizenship in 2015. He has received numerous awards and honors, including:
- 2012: Special Plaque for the Most Noble Feat of the Year, awarded by the company Novosti.
- 2016: Gold Medal for Exceptional Merit in the Field of Humanitarian Work, presented by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolić.
- 2017: “Branislav Mane Šakić” Award for the Preservation of the Serbian Language and Promotion of Cultural Expression in Electronic Media.
- 2018: Order of Saint Bishop Nikolaj, the highest decoration of the Šabac Diocese, “for great love for the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija and humanitarian work.”
- 2018: Order of Saint Sava (First Class) “for active love demonstrated through tireless and selfless efforts to gather and provide material and financial aid for our Holy Church and the suffering people in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as for persistently testifying to the truth about the life of our people in this Serbian province.”
- 2018: Knight of Saint Sava’s Pacifism Charter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, for humanitarian work in Kosovo and Metohija and efforts in France to change perceptions of Serbia.
In addition to his native French, Gouillon speaks Serbian, English, and Russian. He is married to Ivana, a Serbian woman born in France, and they have two daughters, Milena and Irena, and a son, Viktor.
The lecture will be available for live attendance and via Zoom. Prior registration is required at the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sS2SnlWlSB6WTOYE0HTC_g