A brief look into his background
Cas Mudde was born on June 3rd, 1967 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He completed his Master’s degree in 1993 and gained his Ph.D. in 1998 both in Political Science at Leiden University. Mudde continued his career around Europe, holding tenure-related positions at Central European University in Hungary, the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, and the University of Antwerp in Belgium.
In 2008, Mudde was to join his wife in the United States and held several positions around the country. He was a visiting Professor at the University of Oregon, Visiting Fellow at the University of Notre Dame, and Nancy Schaenen Visiting Scholar, and Hampton and Esther Boswell Distinguished University Professor of Political Science at DePauw University.
Currently, Mudde is holding the positions of the Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF Professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia in the United States and Professor II at the Center for Research on Extremism at the University of Oslo in Norway. Mudde has published several books and is regularly interviewed and quoted by international media, such as BBC, CNN, and The Economist. He is also an author himself for the Guardian U.S. Therefore, make sure to find his work and read some of the articles online about politics in the U.S. and Europe!
Latest work
The far-right these days does not look like it did back in the days when fascism was destroying the world. Anyhow, the normalization of far-right thinking nowadays is a significant threat to democracy around the world. Mudde’s primary research agenda in his own words is: “How can liberal democracies defend themselves against extremist challenges without undermining their own core values?” Hence, in his latest book, “The Far Right Today,” Mudde tackles exactly these issues. The book aims for the reader to independently and critically asses the challenges the far-right is posing for liberal democratic states. Rising populism is one of the ongoing trends around the globe, which Mudde addresses in his latest work. Therefore, to understand better the politics by Donald Trump, or perhaps, Marine Le Pen, this is the book for you to consider getting your hands on.
Mudde at the University of Amsterdam
For everyone interested in the topics mentioned above, Room of Discussion is proud of hosting an interview with Mudde on Thursday, November 28th, at 13:00 in the E-hall of the Roeterseiland Campus. Come to follow the conversation yourself and ask questions! After the event, Rostra Economica will publish an article about the highlights of Mudde’s interview, so remember to check that out as well.