Ján Figel’, born in January 1960, studied power electronics at the
Technical University of Košice. After a career as a research and
development scientist in this area for more than 10 years, he
studied international relations at the Georgetown University in
Washington and European economic integration at the UFSIA
Antwerp.

His political career began in 1992 when he became member of the
National Council of the Slovak Republic and from this time his
career has demonstrated his dedication to the European ideal. He
was the chief negotiator for the accession of the Slovak Republic to
the European Union. Since 1 May 2004, Ján Figel’ has been a
member of the European Commission and is now responsible for
education, training, culture and youth.