Rein Taagepera, University of California at Irvine and Tartu University, Estonia, is awarded the Skytte Prize ´for his profound analysis of the function of electoral systems in representative democracy´.

The prize winner is presented in Svenska Dagbladet, understreckaren, April 1, 2008.

Professor Taagepera will receive the prize at a solemn ceremony in Uppsala Saturday Sept 27. At this occasion he will also give his prize lecture on a topic to be announced later.

The Skytte Foundation at Uppsala University has established an annual prize, The Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science, of 500 000 Swedish crowns (approximately 75 000 US Dollars) to the scholar who in the view of the Foundation has made the most valuable contribution to political science.

Research in all areas of the discipline will be considered: political theory, comparative politics, public administration and international relations.

The Prize will be awarded every year at a solemn ceremony in Uppsala the Saturday closest to October 1, the day when the donation was given. The laureate will be chosen by the Foundation on the recommendation of a Prize Committee after international nominations.

Members of the profession are invited to nominate candidates for the Prize. Nominations, including a short motivation, should be sent every year, no later than November 30, to the following address:
Professor Li Bennich-Björkman
Department of Government
Skytteanum, Box 514
SE-751 20 Uppsala
Sweden

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The Johan Skytte chair in Eloquence and Government was founded in 1622 and is today one of the oldest professorships in the world.
Since its inception the Department has been situated in the same medieval building, and the farms that were part of the initial donation still help to finance research, including the Prize.

The Department offers BA, MA, and PhD degrees in political science and a MA degree in comparative politics and administration. It has about 500 undergraduate students, 40 PhD-candidates, 15 professors and an additional staff of 25 persons. Four to five PhD theses are presented every year. The Department is mainly research oriented: two thirds of the budget covers research, one third education.

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Johan Skytte (1577-1645) was a leading politician in 17th century Swedish political life: a scholar, the prince's teacher, member of the government, governor, diplomat and a great land owner. The Chair, established to provide for the education of higher civil servants, was his gift as University Chancellor to Uppsala University.