The Faculty of Humanities has supported the creation of an interdisciplinary research platform on “Conflict and Peace in Eastern Europe and Central Asia” (2023-2028), which was initiated by members of the Institutes of History, Slavic Studies and Political Science of the University of Bern. The platform aims to create a long-term institutional network for research, cooperation and academic exchange between Switzerland, international Academia and scholars from the former Soviet space, with a focus topics related to conflict, conflict transformation and historical memory in the geographical area of the former Soviet space. Drawing on this network, the platform will develop a larger interdisciplinary research proposal. Furthermore, the platform will also perform teaching activities; a first step in this regard is the interdisciplinary seminar “Before Armed Escalation. Analysis of conflict narratives in Russia and Ukraine (2014-2022)” taught this fall semester by members of the Institutes of Political Science, History and Slavic Studies. Finally, the platform will also organise scientific conferences, workshops and public events, in cooperation with the Eastern European Studies (EES) programme of the Universities of Bern and Fribourg. Two first academic workshops are planned for the autumn semester 2023, one on the Russian-Ukrainian war and one on the conflict in Chechnya.
Coordination
Dr. Cécile Druey Schwab, Institute of History
