JOHNSON CITY — “The Czech Republic, the European Union and the Rise of Populism” is the topic of a free public lecture to be held at East Tennessee State University as part of the History Department Lecture Series on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. in Rogers-Stout Hall, room 118.

The talk will be given by political scientist and historian Dr. Martin Nekola. In his talk, Nekola will discuss the current political situation in the Czech Republic, a small country in the heart of Europe historically considered the crossroads between the West and the East. He will also reflect on the latest developments in the European Union, which is currently facing a serious crisis caused by Brexit, as well as a refugee crisis and the rise of populist tendencies.

Nekola, who received his Ph.D. in political science from the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2012, has conducted research on non-democratic regimes, the era of Communism, Czech communities abroad and the East European anti-communist exiles in the United States during the Cold War. His current research focuses on the Czechoslovak Exile after 1948 and Czech communities in the U.S.

Nekola is the author of more than 200 articles and has published eight books, the most recent of which are “Czech Chicago,” “Bloody Century” and “Petr Zenkl: Politician and Man.”

He is a Czechoslovak Talks Project consultant and works closely with the Bohemian National Hall in New York. In 2013, he participated in a project, “Transatlantic Perspectives,” at the German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C. He has also done research at the Dominican Studies Institute at City College of New York.

In recent years, Nekola has been awarded several prestigious fellowships, including Fulbright and Platzman research fellowships and a Hoover Institution International Scholarship.

In addition, he occasionally participates in election observation missions organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Nekola’s lecture is sponsored by the ETSU Department of History.

For more information, call the department at 423-439-4222 or email Dr. Steve Nash at nashse@etsu.edu. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.