Counselor Christoph Meran
Spokesperson for the Austrian Foreign Ministry (on leave)

Christoph Meran is currently on leave from his position as spokesperson of the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Vienna, Austria.  Meran was a Visiting Fellow at the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination from January to June 2007.  While at LISD he directed the Institute’s Seminar Series on Public Diplomacy.

From 1999 until 2006 he served as First Secretary for Political Affairs and then as spokesperson for the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C.  He was posted to Albania in 1997 and worked for the OSCE in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1996.  Between 1988 and 1995, he worked subsequently as translator and interpreter for Russian and French, as sales manager for the Austrian Piano Company Boesendorfer, and as concert pianist and piano teacher.  He was involved in several humanitarian projects and has worked with several NGOs.

Meran holds a postgraduate degree in International Studies from the College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium; a B.A. in Music from the Vienna Academy of Music, Austria; and an M.A. in Philology (Slavic studies) from the University of Vienna, Austria.  In 1992 he received a Federal Award from the Republic of Austria for Outstanding University Studies. He has been editor-in-chief of two English-language publications, Austrian Information and Jewish News from Austria.  He published articles and essays on various transatlantic topics.

Curriculum Vitae
Personal Statement on Public Diplomacy