Conference Overview
The conflict around Ukraine has brought to a head debate about how to deal with Russia, what role NATO should play, and how to manage interstate relations. It has also drawn attention to the diverse interests and perspective that are now evident in NATO -- which has expended from 12 to 30 countries -- and the threats to liberal values from abroad and within.
Unsurprisingly, as tensions have mounted so have the stereotypical portrayals and self-serving explanations that are common in the heavily contested information environment. As governments work to mobilize support, it becomes more difficult for citizens to find dispassionate and well-informed perspectives.
The Mershon Center for International Security Studies at the Ohio State University hopes to provide some of those in a series of talks (March 2 and 24), convening in this conference, featuring distinguished scholars from across the United States and Europe.
Registration
Register and find more information HERE.
Conference Schedule
*All times are eastern standard time
9:00 – 10:50 a.m. | The Post-Cold War in Europe
The trends in thinking about security in Europe. What have the world views and plans for foreign policy been? What has driven these? How have they interacted across countries and time?
Speakers: Pascal Vennesson, Fyodor Lukyanov, and Peter Roberts
11:00 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. | Domestic Political Landscapes
What are the beliefs about other countries, the sentiments people feel (fears and aspirations), and the preferences they have for foreign policy and security? What does the information landscape look like and what are the prospects for popular mobilization?
Speakers: Marlene Laruelle, Mary Sarotte, and Matthias Mader
1:00 – 2:45 p.m. | Power and Grand Strategies
Are broader plans evident? If so, what do these strategies look like and what is driving them? How do they interact with the strategies of other countries? Are they realistic and sustainable given relative capabilities? Given interests both normative and material along with the distribution of power across its multiple dimensions, what strategies are both desirable and likely to be successful?
Speakers: Kathryn Stoner, Andrei Tsygankov, and Olga Kamenchuk
3:00 – 4:30 p.m. | Liberal Values, Institutions, and Security in Europe
Can we defend values and preserve peace? What are the prospects for managing conflict through international institutions? Can we sort out the clash of values from the competing geopolitical interests that often motivate arguments that evoke values but often in self-serving hypocritical ways? What are the threats to liberal values and how can they best be met? What role might scholars and scholarship play in contributing to security in Europe?
Speakers: Thomas Risse, Dorothy Noyes, and Richard Herrmann