"We believe that the conference can be an opportunity to reflect on how the world around the Baltic Sea and in Eastern Europe is now being shaped in a number of different ways. Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine remains central and will continue to affect us all", says Johanna Mannergren, professor of political science and international relations and one of the organizers of this year's conference.

The Centre for Baltic and East European Studies is hosting its tenth annual conference and this time we aim to lift our gaze and see into the future. What will be necessary for us to – one day – rebuild what has been destroyed by war, whether this means rebuilding cities and communities, or broken relationships?

Hundred researchers from twenty countries

The programme offers discussions and presentations on subjects such as: a changing democracy, human rights and political resistance. Under the heading “Politics of climate change and social sustainability”, Södertörn researcher and doctoral student Tatiana Sokolova, will talk about the role of climate activism in legal contexts. Irina Seits, PhD in aesthetics, will participate in a panel on how art can reflect and express political and ideological ideas. These are just a few examples from the extensive program offered during the conference.

Scientific predictions

This year’s keynote speaker is Eglė Rindzevičiūtė, associate professor of Criminology and Sociology at Kingston University, London. Her lecture will examine how scientific predictions can affect the future, particularly in times of economic and environmental decline. Using the example of the Soviet Union, where researchers in the 1960s and 1980s predicted the country’s collapse, it will focus on how data and computer-based models were used to drive policy change. What can these predictions teach us about the strengths and limitations of science?

"This year's theme is broad. We want to inspire conversations about the future. We live in a time of crisis and war and it can sometimes feel like we have lost the opportunity to think ahead. But that is precisely why it is important to try to approach the future that will inevitably come. This also implies critically examining the present and the different modes of relating to the past, says Johanna Mannergren."

The CBEES Annual Conference will take place 28-29 November using funding from the Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies. If you are interested in attending, please visit Södertörn University’s calendar for more information.