Conference – Reimagining PEACE 2025
Date
08/05/2025
9:00 - 18:00
Registration for in person attendance for this event is no longer possible.
Register below to follow online.
More info vredesinstituut@vlaamsparlement.be
The PEACE Research Community Europe is an open trans-European network that expands and strengthens a network of peace and conflict research centres and researchers from across Europe. It is supported by the COST Association – European Cooperation in Science and Technology, funded by the European Union. The main aim for this network is to improve the understanding of the current challenges to peace and security on the European continent and beyond. (Check out this webpage if you’re interested in learning more and participating in PEACE Action)
On 8 May 2025 —exactly 80 years after the end of World War II in Europe—the PEACE Research Community Europe will take centre stage for the first time, in the Flemish Parliament in Brussels. A conference, hosted by the Flemish Peace Institute, will bring together members of the network as well as others interested in peace research. Together they will set the agenda for the years ahead.
Engaging with policymakers, scholars, and civil society, the event aims to identify key challenges, share new insights, and highlight solution-driven findings in the field of peace and conflict—fostering fresh research, informed policy, and impactful practice in 5 domains: feminist peace, peace & climate, local peace, peace & emerging technologies and Europe, peace and security.
Discover the programme below and register if you want to join the conversation, in person or online (Please note not all sessions will be streamed online).
PROGRAMME
08:30 – 09:00: Registration
09:00 – 09:30: Welcome & Introduction to the PEACE network by Nils Duquet, director of the Flemish Peace Institute
09:30 – 09:45: Break
09:45 – 11:00: Break-out Sessions – Part 1
- Session 1 A: Feminist Peace
(This session will be streamed online. Register here)
– Moderator: Birgit Poopuu
– Sanam Roohi (University of Göttingen) (online)
– Ewa Strzelecka (University of Wroclaw)
– Mila O’Sullivan (Institute of International Relations Prague) - Session 1 B: Peace & Climate
(Not available for “Online only”-attendees)
– Moderator: Nina von Uexkull
– Maria Cristina Rulli (Professor of Hydrology, Politecnico di Milan, Italy)
– Michael Brzoska (Senior Fellow, IFSH, Hamburg, Germany)
– Guy Schvitz (European Commission, Joint Research Center, Global Conflict Risk Index)
11:00 – 11:15: Break
11:15 – 12:30: Break-out Sessions – Part 2
- Session 2 A: Local Peace
(This session will be streamed online. Register here)
– Moderator: Maarten Van Alstein
– Velma Šarić (PCRC)
– Kateryna Shymkevych
– Ilaria Tucci (TAPRI) - Session 2 B: Peace & Emerging Technologies
(Not available for “Online only”-attendees)
– Moderator: Zakir Rzazade (PRCP, Prague, Czech Republic)
– Kadri Reis (PRIF, Frankfurt, Germany)
– Tim Thies (IFSH, Hamburg, Germany)
– Dominika Kunertova (Atlantic Council)
12:30 – 13:45: Lunch
13:45 – 15:00: Session 3: Europe, Peace & Security
This session will be streamed online. Register here.
- – Moderator: Ursula Schröder (IFSH)
– Daniela Irrera (School of Advanced Defence Studies – CASD)
– Keith Krause (Graduate Institute, Geneva)
– Cornelia Baciu (Copenhagen University)
15:00 – 15:15: Break
15:15 – 16:45: Session 4: Keynote by Séverine Autesserre (Columbia University) – The Frontlines of Peace. Followed by a panel discussion on research, policy, and practice
This session will be streamed online. Register here.
In her book The Frontlines of Peace, Séverine Autesserre, award-winning researcher and peacebuilder, examines the well-intentioned but inherently flawed peace industry. With examples drawn from across the globe, she reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances. Contrary to what most politicians preach, building peace doesn’t require billions in aid or massive international interventions. Real, lasting peace requires giving power to local citizens.
Following the keynote address, a panel discussion will feature moderator Keith Krause (Geneva Graduate Institute), Inge Brees (Search for Common Ground), and Giel Snauwaert (Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office). Together, they will reflect on the possibilities and challenges for peace research to contribute to building sustainable peace through policy and pratice.
– Moderator: Keith Krause (Geneva Graduate Institute)
– Séverine Autessere (Columbia University)
– Inge Brees (Search for Common Ground)
– Giel Snauwaert (Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office).
16:45 – 17:00: Closing remarks by Nils Duquet, director of the Flemish Peace Institute: What’s next?
17:00 – 18:00: Networking reception