Arye Carmon is one of Israel's foremost experts on political reform. In 1991, he founded the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) to strengthen the structural and normative foundations of Israeli democracy. Under his leadership, IDI has become a leading think tank with a reputation among policy makers for nonpartisanship, professionalism, and actionable policy recommendations. A charismatic leader, Carmon has promoted democracy and political education in the classroom and as a member of the board of numerous national institutions and government committees. He has published and lectured extensively on education, Israeli-Diaspora relations and the Holocaust.  Carmon earned his BA and MA (with distinction) from the Hebrew University and his PhD in European history and educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In 2009, the State of Israel recognized Carmon's great contributions to the Israeli state and society, awarding IDI the prestigious Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement.