Event is set to celebrate the launched partnership between LSE IDEAS and Faculty of International and Political Studies (FIPS) and the establishment of LSE IDEAS Central and South-Eastern Europe Programme at the Jagiellonian University. The accompanying academic panel Democracy: Threats and Challenges will feature speakers from both IDEAS and FIPS discussing problems faced by liberal democracy, including value crisis, populism, illiberalism, and digital technologies.

In November 2020, a Memorandum of Understanding Between the Faculty of International and Political Studies of the Jagiellonian University and LSE IDEAS was signed, establishing cooperation between the two institutions. The partnership aims to contribute to the global exchange of ideas and knowledge-building on the joined interest for academic research and outreach to a broader professional as well as general public.

The research cooperation focuses on topics of shared interest, such as: the future of democracy in Central and South-Eastern Europe and within the European Union, the appeal of illiberal democracy and populism, issues concerning migration, international and regional security, and energy security.

Official launch of the LSE IDEAS CSEEP at the Jagiellonian University with opening remarks by:

• prof. Paweł Laidler, Dean of FIPS
• prof. Christopher Coker, Director of LSE IDEAS
• prof. Chris Alden, Director of LSE IDEAS
• prof. Łukasz Kamieński, Director of LSE IDEAS CSEEP at the JU

Democracy: Threats and Challenges panel

• prof. Christopher Coker (LSE IDEAS director): Do We Still Value Democracy?
• prof. Chris Alden (LSE IDEAS): South African Democracy: From "Rainbow Nation" To State Capture
• dr. Luke Cooper (LSE IDEAS): Democratic Responses to the Threat of ‘Authoritarian Protectionism’
• dr. Marcin Fatalski (FIPS UJ, LSE IDEAS 2021/22 Visiting Fellow) Liberal Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and the Rise of Illiberalism
• dr hab. Magdalena Góra (FIPS UJ): Democracy, Differentiation, and Dominance. Segmented Debate on the Future of Europe
• prof. Garry Robson (FIPS JU): Technocracy Rebooted: Will Democracy Survive ‘Surveillance Capitalism’ and ‘Social Physics’?
• Moderated by prof. Artur Gruszczak (FIPS UJ)

LSE IDEAS CSEEP at the Jagiellonian University is proud to invite you to a special event and Q&A session with prof. Christopher Coker, director of LSE IDEAS.

Prof. Coker will be discussing the war in Ukraine including the progress of the military campaign, the policy of the West, the impact of sanctions, the political position of Vladimir Putin and the possibility of a wider global confrontation. His remarks will be based on the discussions of IDEAS Russia-Ukraine Forum, an informal group of policy makers, academics, and journalists.

Christopher Coker is Director of LSE IDEAS, the foreign policy think tank of the LSE. He was Professor of International Relations at LSE, retiring in 2019. He is a former twice serving member of the Council of the Royal United Services Institute, a former NATO Fellow and a regular lecturer at Defence Colleges in the UK, US. Rome, Singapore, and Tokyo. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the National Institute for Defence Studies In Tokyo, the Rajaratnam School for International Studies Singapore, the Political Science Dept in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and the Norwegian and Swedish Defence Colleges. His publications include Rebooting Clausewitz (Hurst, 2015), Men at War: what fiction has to tell us about conflict from the Iliad to Catch 22 (Hurst, 2014); The Improbable War: China, the US and the logic of Great Power War (Hurst, 2015); Future War (Polity, 2016), and The Rise of the Civilizational State (Polity, 2019). His most recent book is Why War? (2020).

Chair: dr Wojciech Michnik (LSE IDEAS CSEEP at the Jagiellonian University)

The Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and the subsequent war have already had a dramatic effect on multiple fields, from international order, through regional economy, to individual lives. The aggression is being widely analyzed by politicians, journalists, academics, and citizens around the world, yet it gains particular importance in NATO’s “frontline states”, including Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states. These countries share a complicated historical relationship with Russia and a particular geopolitical position on the Eastern flank of NATO and the EU. Hence, the perceptions and rhetoric surrounding the conflict and its consequences visible in these frontline states have become significant in shaping international and national policies and security. While the Russian war against Ukraine is still ongoing, it is vital to identify, assess and discuss the main strands and tropes of the political and security discourse surrounding the war and its consequences.

The overall aim of this project is to bring together Polish and international academic and think-tank community to share their early assessment of the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine with the public and prepare the initial pillars for a more substantial cooperation between scholars from FIPS (Faculty of International and Political Studies at JU) and the external environment of the university based on the FIPS’ expert platform of LSE IDEAS CSEEP at the Jagiellonian University. By inviting scholars and practitioners to participate in a joint expert seminar, this project attempts to popularize the interdisciplinary effects of research that are key to understanding a complex security situation in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). 

Expert seminar, 28.11.2022

A one-day meeting will present the research results to the public and engage the audience in the discussion. Its aim is to get wide outreach both in Krakow, Poland and internationally.

Participants:

• Agata Mazurkiewicz, Wojciech Michnik, LSE IDEAS CSEEP at Jagiellonian University
  • ​From concept to reality? Poland as a “frontline state” and its early responses to the war
• ​Iwona Reichardt, New Eastern Europe
  • ​Poland’s assistance to Ukraine: causes and prospects
• ​Julia Ryng, LSE IDEAS
  • ​Growing social and cultural tensions in frontline states
• ​Roman Kozlow, Jagiellonian University
  • Ukrainian narrative after February 24, 2022
• ​Dominika Dziwisz, Jagiellonian University
  • ​The cyber dimensions of the Russia’s war in Ukraine
• ​Julia Kazdobina, Head at Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies
  • Russian propaganda/influence and approaches to countering it by communication and regulation
• Adam Reichardt, Editor-in-Chief, New Eastern Europe
  • ​Upcoming challenges in Transatlantic Relations and support for Ukraine
• ​Leon Hartwell, CSEEP LSE IDEAS
  • ​The Baltics and the Russia-Ukraine war: impacts, contributions, and the way forward
• ​Bogdan Zawadewicz, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego
  • ​The impact of ongoing war in Ukraine on the Three Seas Initiative (TSI): main challenges and opportunities
• ​Lukasz Kamieński, the director of the LSE IDEAS CSEEP at Jagiellonian University, will serve as a chair of the seminar.

​The seminar will take place in the building of the Faculty of International and Political Studies of Jagiellonian University, at Reymonta 4, Krakow in room 09 (ground floor).

Program:

• 10:30-10:55 Arrival of participants
• 11:00-11:10 Welcome and introductory remarks
• 11:10-12:45 Panelists’ presentations
• 12:45-13:10 Break
• 13:10-14:40 Q&A and discussion
• 14:40-14:45 Concluding remarks

The project is funded under the program Excellence Initiative – Research University at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

The lecture put forward the argument that ‘new wars’ represent a long-term social condition characterised by violent political and economic fragmentation. The Putin regime exhibits many of the characteristics to be found in regimes where new wars take place; indeed Putin has been fighting new wars ever since he came to power. The lecture asked whether Putin’s aim is turning Ukraine into a ‘new war’ – winning may not mean military victory but long-term chaos. 

Mary Kaldor is Professor Emeritus of Global Governance and Director of the Conflict Research Programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has pioneered the concepts of new wars and global civil society. Her elaboration of the real-world implementation of human security has directly influenced European and national governments. She is the author of many books and articles including New and Old Wars: Organised Violence in a Global Era (3^rd edition, 2012), International Law and New Wars (with Christine Chinkin, 2017) and Global Security Cultures (2018). 

We invite you to join us for a critical assessment of the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, organized with New Eastern Europe. This project will provide a platform for discussions and recommendations before the NATO Vilnius Summit.

As the world continues to face complex security challenges, it is crucial to reflect on the lessons learned from past conflicts and find ways to prevent future ones. We aim to understand the key lessons from the war in Ukraine on the topics of strategic cooperation and strategic communication. 

During this event, we will bring together experts and scholars to share their insights and perspectives on the war in Ukraine. We will discuss the challenges and successes of the international community's response to the conflict, and the discussions will focus on the role of NATO and its member countries in the conflict. 

This event is open to all who are interested in understanding the complexities of the conflict in Ukraine and contributing to a constructive dialogue on the way forward. We look forward to your participation and insights.

Speakers: 
• Dominik P. Jankowski, Policy Adviser to the NATO Secretary General
• Mariia Zolkina, David Davies of Llandinam Research Fellow, LSE, Ukraine/United Kingdom 
• Stefano Braghiroli, University of Tartu, Estonia
• Alexander Lanoszka, University of Waterloo, Canada

The event will take place at the Faculty of International and Political Studies of the Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, Kraków. Room 37

The event was co-funded by NATO and the European Commission. 

A video from the event can be found here.

20 May 2024 16:00 - 19:00

Faculty of International and Political Studies, Jagiellonian University - Room 037

Public Discussion at Jagiellonian University

The aim of this panel debate is to address a question of how NATO affected the security of Central and Eastern Europe and its regional allies who joined NATO after the end of the Cold War. As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary, it has also been 25 years since NATO began its eastward enlargement, starting with the accession of Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland in 1999. Currently, NATO is 32 members strong, broadening its geographical range and enlarging a realm of peace and stability across the European continent, including most of the Central and European region.  Yet, today, in the midst of Russia’s aggression and subsequent war in Ukraine it seems apparent to observe how NATO’s role in the region evolved and how this evolution has affected the security of Central and Eastern Europe.

16:00 Welcome 

16:15 Keynote Address - Tanya Hartman, Head, Policy East, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO

Moderator: Łukasz Kamieński, UJ / LSE IDEAS CSEEP at the JU

17:00-19.00 Panel discussion: How NATO has reshaped security in the region and perspectives on future developments

Speakers: Wojciech Michnik, Angela Gramada, Nele Loorents, Viktor Shlinchak
Moderator: Adam Reichardt, New Eastern Europe


Co-organized by New Eastern Europe, LSE IDEAS CSEEP at the Jagiellonian University, and the East European Council, sponsored by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"Shadows of Truth: Decoding Russia’s Disinformation Campaigns" | 17-18 October 2024
Over two insightful days at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, experts, researchers, and participants came together to unpack the evolving and complex nature of Russian disinformation. The event, organized by LSE IDEAS CSEEP and Jagiellonian University, provided an in-depth look at how disinformation is weaponized, its impacts, and strategies to counter it.

[🌍] Day 1 Recap:
We kicked off with an interactive exercise workshop led by Johann Kattenstroth, where participants learned firsthand how disinformation is crafted and spread. It was an eye-opening session that set the stage for deeper discussions.

The open expert panel moderated by Adam Reichardt from New Eastern Europe brought together Dr. Anton Shekhovtsov, Dr. Stefano Ruzza, and Christophe Leclerq to examine the historical context and mechanisms behind Russian disinformation. We were over the moon to see a room full of student attendees!
In the afternoon, our first in-depth session explored the evolution of Russian disinformation tactics since 2013, featuring Yehor Brailian, Péter Krekó, and Olga Irisova. The discussion shed light on how disinformation strategies have shifted over the past decade.

[🌍] Day 2 Recap:
We started the day with an analysis of the effects of Russian disinformation from experts like Tamar Kintsurashvil and Tomasz Hajnold, focusing on how disinformation has influenced democratic states.
The afternoon session, moderated by Stuart Austin delved into countermeasures against disinformation, with Alexandra Pavliuc, Alexander Evans, and Maria Branea discussing techniques and resilience strategies at both state and international levels.

We concluded with a forward-looking session moderated by Chris Alden, with talks from Kenddrick Chan, Kamil Mikulski and Łukasz Kamieński on the future of disinformation and its global implications, including the role of Russian-Chinese cooperation and the rise of cognitive warfare.

A big thank you to all the speakers, moderators, and participants who contributed to this important conversation. The discussions were not only informative but also provided actionable insights into how we can strengthen our defenses against disinformation in the digital age.

This event was supported by LSE IDEAS, New Eastern Europe, and the Future Democracy Lab Flagship Project of the Excellence Initiative at Jagiellonian University.

28 November 2024

Keynote and Public Panel – Room 038

Keynote: Beyond NATO’s Washington Summit

This panel debate aims to address the question of how the results of the 2024 US presidential elections will affect NATO and its intra-alliance dynamics. As NATO celebrated its 75th anniversary during the Summit in Washington in July 2024, one of the most daunting issues for the future of the Alliance revolved around the role of the United States, which has already been looking more into the Asia-Pacific and the competition with China. Yet, there are some striking differences in how the two presidential candidates viewed US commitments to international alliances, including NATO. The panel will attempt to shed light on the key consequences of the election of Donald Trump for NATO’s future.

10:00 Welcome by the organizers: Professor Łukasz Kamieński, (Director of the LSE IDEAS CSEEP at JU)

10:15 Keynote Speech: Professor Alexander Lanoszka (University of Waterloo)

Moderator: Dr. Wojciech Michnik (Jagiellonian University/LSE IDEAS CSEEP at JU)

11:00-12.00 Panel discussion: “Keeping Americans in”? NATO after the US presidential elections (room 038)

Speakers: Dr. Patricia Daehnhardt (Portuguese Institute of International Affairs), Eoin McNamara (Finnish Institute of International Affairs), Danielle Piatkiewicz (Alliance of Democracies Foundation)

Moderator: Dr. Wojciech Michnik (Jagiellonian University/LSE IDEAS CSEEP at JU)

12:00-13:15 Lunch Break (room 036)

13:15–16:30 Closed Door Expert Seminar, invite-only (room 012)

This seminar will serve as a platform to discuss crucial results of the Washington Summit and, consequently, the biggest challenges for the Alliance in a short and mid-term perspective. The experts in the first panel will be asked not only to weigh in on the major decisions announced during the NATO Summit but also to analyze selected challenges that the Alliance and its members face. The second panel will deal with NATO’s cohesion in the context of the Alliance’s 360-degree security approach. Even though Russia’s war against Ukraine has dominated NATO’s agenda for almost three years, other threats and challenges have not ceased to exist. International terrorism, the war between Gaza and Israel, the effects of the climate crisis, and the growing great power competition in Asia are only some of the examples of the impressive list of concerns for the Alliance. How NATO should address them while maintaining its cohesion will be a main question in this section of the seminar.

Panel 1: NATO after the Washington Summit – The Alliance’s Ongoing Transformation
Speakers: Dr. Andris Banka (University of Greifswald), Prof. Artur Gruszczak (Jagiellonian University), Dr. Wojciech Michnik (Jagiellonian University/LSE IDEAS CSEEP at JU)
Moderator: Danielle Piatkiewicz (Europeum, Institute for European Policy)

Panel 2: Beyond ‘Eastern Flank’? Challenges to NATO’s Cohesion
Speakers: Alessandro Leonardi (American University of Rome), Prof. Michele Testoni (IE University)
Moderator: Johann Kattenstroth (Jagiellonian University)

Thank you to all the speakers (who faced foggy adventures trying to reach Kraków), moderators, and attendees for making this a meaningful exchange of ideas. Special thanks to our partners: LSE IDEAS, New Eastern Europe, Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego, Muzeum Historii Polski w Warszawie, and Patriotyzm Jutra.

When? 2nd of April 2025 at 16:00-18:00
Where? Room 039, Reymonta 4, Kraków, at the Faculty of International and Political Studies, Jagiellonian University
Registration is mandatory! Link: https://forms.office.com/e/62MrGptS1F

In his lecture "American Foreign Policy under Trump 2.0 and the Consequences for European Geostrategy," Professor David Criekemans will focus on how the "America First" agenda reshapes global dynamics. He will dive into Great Power Politics, examining how Trump's policies impact relations with China and Russia. This analysis will provide insights into the strategic maneuvers and counter-maneuvers that define this high-stakes geopolitical chess game.

Furthermore, the lecture will explore the shift from traditional multilateralism to a preference for bilateral agreements. Professor Criekemans will discuss the broader implications of this shift on international cooperation, trade, and diplomacy, highlighting how these changes affect global alliances and partnerships.
Finally, the lecture will address European Geostrategy, analyzing the ripple effects of American foreign policy on Europe's security landscape and strategic priorities. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how European nations are adapting to these changes and what it means for the future of transatlantic relations.
This lecture will provide a comprehensive overview of the evolving geopolitical landscape and its profound effects on Europe.

ABOUT: Dr. David Criekemans was born in Antwerp, Belgium (1974). He obtained a Master degree in International Politics at the University of Antwerp (UIA) in 1996, and became European Master of Public Administration at the KULeuven, in 1997. In 2005 he defended his PhD at the University of Antwerp on the intellectual history of Geopolitics (1890-2005) and its relation to Theory of International Relations. The manuscript was published with the Belgian scientific publisher Garant under the title “Geopolitiek, ‘geografisch geweten’ van de buitenlandse politiek?”. After more than ten years this book is recognized as the standard work on geopolitical theory and its intellectual history in the Dutch-speaking language area. Recently, David Criekemans published a new book on Europe in the midst of a world in full geopolitical transition; “Geopolitieke Kanttekeningen 2011-2018, en daarna. Een wereld in volle geopolitieke transitie”, with the Belgian scientific publisher Gompel&Svacina.
Today, Dr. David Criekemans is Associate Professor in ‘International Relations’ at the University of Antwerp (Belgium), Assistant Professor ‘International Relations & International Security’ at the University College Roosevelt (part of Utrecht University) in Middelburg (the Netherlands) and Senior Lecturer ‘Geopolitics’ at the Geneva Institute of Geopolitical Studies (GIGS) (Switzerland).

Read more: https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/staff/david-criekemans/

This event is co-organized with the Delegation of Flanders to Poland and the Baltic States and New Eastern Europe.