The Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University is pleased to announce that Gabrielius Landsbergis has been named the new Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow, effective September 16, 2025.

While based at CISAC, Landsbergis will be deeply enmeshed in the daily intellectual life of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, (FSI), with simultaneous affiliations with The Europe Center (TEC), and the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL).

“We are honored to welcome Gabrielius to FSI as the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow,” said Michael McFaul, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute. “As Europe and the world navigate an evolving geopolitical landscape, having such a principled and experienced European leader on campus will be invaluable to our scholars, students, and broader community.”

Prior to his appointment at Stanford, Landsbergis served as the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. Previously, he was the chairman of the Homeland Union Party while concurrently a member of the Lithuanian Parliament. Before assuming these roles, Landsbergis was also a member of the European Parliament and began his career as a diplomat for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.

Landsbergis’ tenure serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs was defined by a value-based approach to foreign policy. During his time in office, he cemented deepening transatlantic relations, sustained support for Ukraine, and the elevation of global partnerships as strategic pillars of Lithuania’s foreign policy.

“CISAC faculty, fellows, and students are thrilled to have Gabrielius Landsbergis joining our community this coming academic year.  Lithuania has been a leader in creating unity in NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As foreign minister, Landsbergis galvanized that strong leadership,” added CISAC co-director Scott Sagan. “We all look forward to hearing his reflections on what went well and what did not in NATO policy in recent years and also learning about his ideas on how to build a safer future for Europe.”

The Liautaud Fellowship brings former heads of state, senior policymakers, and other eminent experts to Stanford, with the goal of promoting meaningful dialogue on the challenges world leaders face in crafting policy solutions to pressing global problems. Previous Liautaud Fellows include Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former president and prime minister of Mongolia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of Estonia; Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, U.S. Army (Ret), former U.S. national security advisor; Oleksiy Honcharuk, former prime minister of Ukraine; and Ambassador Susan E. Rice, former domestic policy advisor to President Joe Biden. Zuzana Čaputová, formerly the president of Slovakia, preceded Landsbergis as the Freeman Spogli Institute’s most recent Liautaud Fellow, where she focused on the threats to democracies and the impact of social media on the quality of democratic deliberations.

Liautaud Fellows are welcomed into the FSI community, and are invited to participate in regular seminars, offer guest lectures in courses, work closely with faculty and students, and deliver a public address to the community.

"After many years defending the transatlantic partnership from the European side of the ocean, indeed from the frontlines of NATO, I am thrilled to have this opportunity to engage deeply with thinkers and practitioners on the other side,” said Landsbergis. “I will be continuing my advocacy for freedom and look forward to taking my work to places where new arguments for the value of our traditional alliance are needed.”