Upcoming events

30.06.2025, 6 p.m. - 8p.m. | Jeffrey C. Alexander, Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Yale University, founder of cultural sociology and leading theorist of the civil sphere, will give a public lecture at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). His lecture, titled ‘Can Civil Peace Extend beyond the Nation State? Europe, NATO, and the U.S. in the Shadow of the Russia-Ukraine War,’ will take place in the Logensaal (Logenstraße 11, 15230 Frankfurt (Oder)) and will be followed by a Q&A session and reception. Join us at the Viadrina for this special occasion!

On 30 June and 1 July, the conference ‘The Civil Sphere in Central and Eastern Europe’ will take place at the European University Viadrina. It features presentations and discussions with scholars from Europe and the U.S., focusing on case studies from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, and post-socialist East Germany. The event focuses on the roots of special civic and social dynamics in the region and their implications for current political realities and Europe's broader geopolitical context. | Participation in the full conference or individual sessions is welcome. Registration: civilsphere@europa-uni.de

Online Event | 25 June 2025 | 3:00 p.m. (CET) | Registration Required Resilience Under Fire: How Universities in War-Affected Cities Adapt How do universities continue to operate when war reaches their doorstep? This online event explores how academic institutions in frontline cities—focusing on Kharkiv, Ukraine—have adapted to the challenges of war. Drawing on recent research and first-hand experience, our speakers will discuss the impact of war on universities, faculty, and students, as well as strategies for institutional survival, academic mobility, and the evolving motivations of educators. Organised by the Ukraine Research Network@ZOiS (UNET) in cooperation with the Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies (KIU), the event offers a unique perspective on the resilience of higher education under extreme conditions.

Join us for an insightful discussion on the overlooked dimensions of Ukrainian resistance in occupied territories. Drawing on open-source data, political scientist Yuriy Matsiyevsky, KIU Research Fellow at Viadrina University, will explore the interplay of peaceful protest and armed partisan activity as core elements of Ukraine’s national resistance. His analysis sheds light on the resilience of Ukrainian identity and its implications for regional and European security.

Monday, 23 June 25, 6 to 8 pm. | Ukraine Lecture Series | GD 102 | The 1990s were a key moment to understand the history of Eastern Europe, the post-Soviet space and Ukraine. Many of the problems that haunt the region until today first surfaced during the 1990s where some key decisions were taken, while other were postponed. The talk will take a ciritical look back at the 1990s and raise the question what they can teach us for today's dilemmas.