Professor Yannis G. Valinakis is Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and currently Director of ZEBS International Business School, President of the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence at the University of Athens, and CEO of MEDITOURS S.A.
Political Career
Yannis Valinakis became Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2004-2009), responsible for Political and European Affairs, and Member of Parliament (2004-2009). As Deputy Minister he served as Greece’s chief negotiator in all major European multilateral negotiations, including on the European Constitutional and (later on) Lisbon Treaty (2004-2008), the EU 2007-2013 Budget, and the Union’s enlargement and association negotiations.
In his ministerial capacity, he participated in more than 30 EU ministerial meetings and in more than 30 Ministerial Meetings of NATO, The Council of Europe, OSCE, Black Sea Cooperation Council, South East European Cooperation Process, Mediterranean Forum; he substituted for the Foreign Minister or the Prime Minister as head of the Greek delegation in a large number of Ministerial meetings / Heads of State-Government summits including the EU-GCC, EU-Asia, EU-ASEAN, EU-Latin America, EU-Africa and Southeast European Cooperation Process.
Decorations and Distinctions
In 2013 he was honoured by the European Commission with the “Jean Monnet Chair ad Personam”, in 1995 with the Jean Monnet Chair in European Diplomacy and in 2000, 2010 and 2017 with the “Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence”. Yannis Valinakis also holds numerous international state decorations (including by the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, China, Denmark, Norway etc) and distinctions.
Academic Career
Born in Athens in 1955, Yannis Valinakis studied Law at the University of Athens and Political Science at the University of Heidelberg. He completed postgraduate studies at the University of Sorbonne – Paris I (DEA in International Politics, DEA in Defense Policy, DEA in History of International Relations) and received his Ph.D. (with honours) from the same University, in 1981. He became Assistant Professor at the University of Thrace Law School in 1983, Professor of International Relations at Athens University in 1992, Jean Monnet Professor in European Diplomacy in 1996, Dean of the Law School at Neapolis University in 2013, Jean Monnet Professor Ad Personam in 2013 and Visiting Professor, Law School, Nicosia University (2014-2015).
Professor Valinakis has also taught at various Greek and foreign universities (London School of Economics and Political Science, Neapolis University etc) and has published widely in five languages in the fields of European and International affairs and Strategic Studies. His more recent major works are: “Greece’s EEZ” (2020); “Exiting the Crisis; Realistic Proposals” (2015), “Greece’s European Policy Making”, London, LSE, 2012; “Greek Foreign and European Policy”, 2010 etc.
Research-Related Positions
Professor Valinakis served as Member of the Board and of the Academic Council of the W. Martens Centre for European Studies in Brussels (2008-2022), Director of Studies and General Director of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and Director General and President of the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence at Athens University (since 2010). He has also served as member of the Editorial Board of the “European View” journal (since 2005), Resident Fellow at the Institute for East-West Studies in New York (1982-1983), Senior Fellow at the Institute for Security Studies of the European Union (Paris 1997-1998), Visiting Senior Fellow at the European Institute (London School of Economics, 2011-2012), and at other prominent research institutions.
He has also worked as a senior consultant to international organizations (such as the EU, the WEU and BSEC) and to Greek and other governmental bodies. Professor Valinakis has also served in international Commissions, such as the Black Sea Commission and the International Expert Committee of the Fondation Chirac in Paris (2011-2014); Member of the Planning Staff of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1991-93) and Advisor to the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs (1983-86).
Business Career
Prof. Valinakis is President and CEO of the hotel company Meditours S.A. since 2013.
Languages
Yannis Valinakis is fluent in English, French and German and has a working knowledge of Spanish, Italian and Russian.