Education:
 
1978 - 1983    Technical University in Košice
Engineer (Ing.) in Electric drives and power electronics
1994    Georgetown University, Washington D.C., USA
One-semester course in international relations
1994    UFSIA Antwerp, Belgium
One-semester course on European Economic Integration

Professional career:

 1983 - 1992    ZPA Prešov
Research and development engineer in power electronics
1992 - 1998    Member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic
Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (SR)
1993 - 1998    Member of the National Council of the SR in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CE PA)
1995 - 1998    Vice-Chairman of the CE PA's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
1997 - 1998    Chairman of the CE PA's Sub-Committee on International Economic Relations
1998 - 2002    State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the SR
1998 - 2003    Chief Negotiator of the SR for negotiations on the accession of Slovakia to the EU
2002     Representative of the Slovak Government in the Convention on the Future of Europe
2002 - 2004    Member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of the SR
Member of the European Integration Committee of the National Council of the SR
2002 - 2003    Co-Chairman of the Standing Delegation of the National Council of the SR on the Joint EU-SR Parliamentary Committee
2002 - 2003    Representative of the Slovak National Council in the Convention on the Future of Europe
2003 - 2004    Head of the Standing Delegation of Observers of the National Council of the SR in the European Parliament
(EP’s Committee for Constitutional Affairs)
2003 - 2004    Member of the Council of Europe PA’s Committee on Economic Affairs and Development
Standing Delegation of the National Council of the SR in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
2004     Vice-Chairman of the Council of Europe PA’s Committee on Economic Affairs and Development
Standing Delegation of the National Council of the SR in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
01.05.2004 - 21.11.2004    Member of the European Commission co-responsible for Enterprise and Information Society
22.11.2004 - 31.12.2006     Member of the European Commission for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism
01.01.2007    Member of the European Commission for Education, Training, Culture and Youth

Honorary Awards:
 
2009    University of Trnava, Slovakia:
“Doctor honoris causa” (Dr. h. c.) - Honorary doctorate
2008    Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Bucharest, Romania:
“Doctor honoris causa” (Dr. h. c.) - Honorary doctorate
2007    The International Peace Center Sarajevo:
“Award Freedom for outstanding contribution to the promotion of human rights and freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe and the World”
2007    Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania:
“Honorary professor”
2007    St. Elizabeth's University of Health and Social Sciences in Bratislava:
“Doctor of Philosophy” (Ph.D.)
2006    The Award of the Prešov region for outstanding contribution and effort made in the process of integration of the Slovak Republic to the EU.
2006    Technical University in Košice:
“Doctor honoris causa” (Dr. h. c.) - Honorary doctorate
2006    International Council of Christian and Jews, Cambridge, Great Britain:
The Interfaith Gold Medallion
2005    Honorary citizen of Vranov nad Topľou, Slovakia
2004    President of the French Republic:
Knight of the Honorary Legion
2004    The Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Science, Washington DC:
Human Tolerance and Humanitarian Award