Mónika Palotai

Mónika Palotai is a Visiting Research Fellow at Hudson Institute focusing on International Law, EU law and Energy Security. Mónika started her professional career working as a correspondent for Hungarian media outlets covering worldwide events. She obtained her BA degree in Communication and Media at the Budapest Business School, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Hungary. Meanwhile she relocated to the United Arab Emirates, and began working in the private sector of aviation and energy. To complement her education and to be more efficient in doing business in the region, she immersed herself in Arabic Language and Sharia Law (LL.M.) at the University of Sharjah. She also founded and published the UAE’s first ever monthly magazine for expectant mothers.

Her field of expertise includes improving business processes and finding weak spots and value-added solutions. Returning to Budapest, Hungary, she graduated at master’s level in 2018 as an Expert in International Public Service at the University of Public Service, Hungary. Subsequently, she continued her studies at the Ph.D. program of the Doctoral School of Public Administration Sciences as a Hungarian state scholarship holder. She is scheduled to defend her thesis in 2023 spring on regulatory challenges of private military and security companies. In parallel with her doctorate studies, she enrolled to the Faculty of Law of the Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary to finish her J.D.  

Her articles on various issues of EU law, international law and energy security have been published in the Newsweek, The National Interest, Washington Examiner, The Epoch Times, and The American Conservative.

Mónika is fluent in Hungarian, English, French, and has advanced knowledge in Arabic. She is an accomplished equestrian competing in both showjumping and endurance.