National Education Commission University in Krakow, in cooperation with Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe), University of Leipzig, Institute of European Network Remembrance and the Solidarity in Warsaw, invites you to the 4th International Scientific Conference: History as an Instrument of Contemporary International Conflicts.
Aims & Scope of the Project
The problem of the influence of history on contemporary international politics is a demanding field of research, which as a necessary condition requires broad interdisciplinary studies engaging a large international research team. Historical resentments, memory of past injuries or successes could be elements of identity, and as a consequence also of a political narrative of a particular society. The research project was initiated in 2018, and in 2023 an international team was established as a formalization of the project of the same title: History as an Instrument of Contemporary International Conflicts.
The aim of the project is an analysis of historical phenomena regarding history itself being treated as a subject or an instrument of contemporary disputes and conflicts between states and nations. The task requires setting up an interdisciplinary research team in order to implement such a broad research project. The team should consist of specialists in the fields of history, political science, international relations, sociology, psychology, social anthropology, media studies, of those with a knowledge of systems of education and school textbooks, and of specialists in WWW-based communication analysis in the domain of the social sciences. The results of the project will be presented within a multivolume edition including volumes on disputes and conflicts between states and nations regarding history in particular parts of the world, as well as in a volume on the outcomes of the comparative analyses of discussed conflicts including recommendations referring to conflict prevention and conflict solution in the presented context.
Previous editions and post-conference publications
The first edition of the conference took place in October 2018 at the Institute of Political Science, Pedagogical University in Cracow. The event aroused great interest in academic society. The conference was attended by researchers from many countries, including Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and United States. Second, hybrid edition, was held during COVID pandemics in November 2021. The high-quality conference papers were published by world-renowned De Gruyter Publishing House:
Instrumentalizing the Past: The Impact of History on Contemporary International Conflicts, eds. Jan Rydel, Stefan Troebst, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2022.
Different Shades of the Past: History as an Instrument of Contemporary International Conflicts, eds. Mateusz Kamionka and Przemysław Łukasik, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2023.
The project has so far been financed by the Polish Ministry of National Education and Science under the “Excellent Science” program.
Latest edition of the conference entiteld The crisis of historical memory: understanding the past, manifestation, digital response was organized in November 2024.
Forthcoming conference edition:
„Russian imperialism – history and memory”
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been waging an open war of aggression against Ukraine. By calling this war a “military special operation” and clearly denying Ukraine full sovereignty, Russia seems to be reproducing the framework known from the heyday of imperialism. In connection with the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is necessary to recall Russia’s imperial traditions and genocidal repressions of the 20th century. Soviet imperialism combined the traditions of Tsarist Russia with Bolshevism, expanding its reach to half of Europe. This was accompanied by brutal terror and extermination of local populations opposed to Soviet power. Contemporary Russian imperialism undermines the very foundations of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states of our region.
This conference will examine the retreat from the imperialist template as an opportunity to critically analyze Russia’s policies in the post-Soviet space. Participants will discuss Russia’s past and present attempts to (re)establish dominance and control in the post-Soviet sphere. In this way, Russian practices will also be compared and contrasted with the general features of “imperialist” international policy. The conference will focus on Russia’s past and present attempts to (re)establish dominance and control in the post-Soviet sphere, with special emphasis on:
- The historical evolution of the Russian and Soviet empires and the development of Russian imperial thought and ideology;
- History as a tool of contemporary, expansionist actions of (modern) Russia;
- History and memory as a source of attitudes of societies of countries subjected to Russian attack or pressure and an instrument of these countries’ policy towards Moscow.
How to participate
We warmly invite all researchers and scientists. We do not charge a conference fee. The conference organizers will provide accommodation and catering as well as the opportunity to participate in activities connected with the conference.
We are looking forward to seeing you at the conference,
History as an Instrument of Contemporary International Conflicts.
