Few places still available for this Funded Networking Workshop

The collective accession of central and eastern European (CEE) countries to NATO and the EU was meant, among other objectives, to fundamentally end a long history of geopolitical games in the region. “Return to Europe” was envisaged as the restoration of the region’s rightful place in the Euro-Atlantic family of free, prosperous and secure nations.

And yet, the history has not ended for CEE countries. In fact, it appears to be going backwards, with the regional geopolitical environment deteriorating rapidly with no end in sight. Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine is, of course, at the centre of this new age of geopolitical insecurity and historical comparisons, if not traumas, are plentiful.

Regardless of how consequential and tragic for European security the war has been, the CEE region is bracing for more undesirable developments, including the possible spillover of the war to the territory of NATO, or the more immediate threat of further destabilisation in Moldova. It is thus going to be the purpose of this Networking Workshop to address the following questions:

1. How has the Russian invasion of Ukraine impacted the geopolitics of central and eastern Europe?
2. What foreign and security strategies have the CEE countries been adopting in response to the war?
3. How have the CEE countries been positioning themselves vis-à-vis other European countries, the EU, NATO, the US, Russia and China?

We will explore these questions at the Networking Workshop organised by Dr Kamil Zwolski at the University of Southampton on June 10, 2024.

How to Participate

The workshop will be divided up into sessions, with 5 main contributors in each session. To apply for participation, please send the title of your contribution and a 150-words abstract to k.m.zwolski@soton.ac.uk by April 30. Applicants will be notified soon after the deadline.  The event is open to advanced and early-career researchers as well as policy practitioners. The idea is to advance knowledge in the field, but also meet new people for possible future collaboration.

Financial Support

All accepted participants will have their Economy-class travel reimbursed and accommodation for up to two nights will be booked for them in Southampton. This is made possible by the support of the European Union’s Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Chair award.

If you have any questions about this event, please email Dr Kamil Zwolski at k.m.zwolski@soton.ac.uk.