Vít Novotný is an expert on migration, asylum, border control and immigrant integration at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies. His previous activities at the Centre included the creation of centre-right policy narratives through edited volumes in cooperation with the Centre's member foundations.

Vít Novotný's previous experience was in the education, private, public and non-profit sectors in the UK (2004-10). In 1991-93 and 2001-03 he worked as a pharmacist and sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry in Czechia. His education includes undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in clinical pharmacy, European studies, public administration and politics from universities in Czechia, the US and the UK.

In 1992 he ran for the Czech Parliament on the list of the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA). In 1989 he was active, as a student, in the citizen movement that overthrew the Czechoslovak Communist regime. He has published widely on politics and current issues in Czech and English-language press. He speaks Czech, English, conversational Russian and is learning German and French.