Explore IIR’s annual collection of expert analyses on current developments in international politics, from shifts in the global order to their impact on European security and Czech foreign policy.
📎 Link to the publication in the comments.
Do you ever wonder how often politicians speak about the European Union on X (Twitter) – and what makes them bring it up? This is the question examined by our Director of Research, Jan Kovář. Analysing more than 180,000 tweets published between 2007 and 2022.
www.iir.cz/the-eu-as-a-...
How did the Chinese authorities respond to growing international pressure over the mass detention of Uyghurs in re-education camps in Xinjiang? This question is examined by Jan Švec in his article published in Modern China. 📘 The full article is available here: www.iir.cz/new-research...
🗳️ In recent years, we have seen the emergence of party movements that use online interactions to reconnect with citizens. But are digital tools the solution to the democratic crisis? 📲
Find the answer in our #ActEU animated video👉 youtu.be/4Iqjxn7MQFo
@cchscsic.bsky.social @iirprague.bsky.social
What might Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans look like in 2035? In the EU-funded RE-ENGAGE project, our researchers explore how geopolitical rivalry and democratic resilience could shape Europe’s neighbourhood.
👉 Read more via the link in the comments.
📌 We are seeking three PhD candidates in the social sciences to join the ERC Synergy Grant project CLOSER at the Institute of International Relations Prague. 🌐
www.iir.cz/job-offer-ph...
📘Představujeme Analýzy ÚMV: Svět v proměnách 2026, tradiční soubor odborných textů ÚMV. Zaměřuje se na proměny mezinárodního řádu, geopolitické napětí, výzvy pro evropskou bezpečnost i dopady na zahraniční politiku a postavení Česka v EU a NATO.
🌍Odkaz najdete v komentáři pod tímto příspěvkem.
🌍 Jaké oblasti mezinárodních vztahů budou v příštím roce klíčové – a proč?
Na to jsme se zeptali našeho ředitele Matse Brauna, který shrnuje, jaké světové dění bude v roce 2026 zásadní z bezpečnostního i ekonomického hlediska.
Researchers Jan Daniel, Asya Metodieva and Matúš Halás examine how Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans may evolve by 2035.
www.iir.cz/geopolitical...
At the #ActEU Final Conference on 5 February, we will reflect on the effects of #polarisation 👉 Get ready for this event by re-watching Pelin Musil's explainer on the topic🔗 youtu.be/WRDouV438zc
And don't forget to register for the conference 🌐 tepsa.eu/events/acteu...
@iirprague.bsky.social
How do governments led by anti-elite or people-centred political movements approach multilateral cooperation within the United Nations?
Prof. Sandra Destradi examines the links between domestic political agendas and international engagement at the UN. 📄
www.iir.cz/populists-at...
Jaké dlouhodobé důsledky může mít přehlížení environmentálních škod způsobených ozbrojenými konflikty pro bezpečnost a stabilitu – a kdo za ně ponese odpovědnost? 🌍
Přečtěte si nový policy paper našeho výzkumníka Martina Laryše zde: iir.cz/hlavni-dopad...
🚨 REMINDER – APPLICATIONS CLOSING SOON! You can still apply until 10 January 2026 and become part of the Institute of International Relations Prague as a Researcher / Senior Researcher! 📚
www.iir.cz/job-offer-jo...
V Bruselu proběhl první Středoevropský kongres manažerů a administrátorů výzkumu. Za ÚMV se kongresu zúčastnil vedoucí projektového oddělení Petr Burda.
👉 Více se dočtete v článku na našem webu: www.iir.cz/profesionali...
New issue of the Czech Journal of IR is out! Features three Research Articles, a Book Forum on Slobodian’s Hayek’s Bastards, and two book reviews. Pleasant read!
cjir.iir.cz/index.php/cj...
Vyšlo druhé letošní vydání našeho populárně-naučného časopisu Mezinárodní politika! 📘Tentokrát se zaměřuje na paměť – nejen tu evropskou, ale i globální.
www.iir.cz/vychazi-druh...
In their latest policy paper, Clément Steuer and Mahnoor Saleem outline how the EU can use diplomacy and development tools to help ease tensions between India and Pakistan.
Read more here: www.iir.cz/after-the-ka...
Polarisation intensifies antagonist feelings in democratic societies 👉 In our latest #TEPSAExplainer, #ActEU Researcher Pelin Musil talks about the consequences of political #polarisation 🎞️
Watch it on YouTube ➡️ youtu.be/WRDouV438zc
@iirprague.bsky.social
The project called CLOSER will shed light on political systems within eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa and seeks to explore how social movements, political parties, and regime structures interact in shaping the region’s future.
This achievement was made possible by our Senior Researcher Dr Clément Steuer in partnership with the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Prof. Gilles Van Hamme (Université Libre de Bruxelles).
We are thrilled to announce a major success for Czech social science and humanities research! Institute of International Relations Prague along with partners has been awarded one of the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grants 2025. 🌍
Join us this Friday for the Final International Conference of the HRJust Intersect Observatory, an inspiring event exploring how research and civil society can work together to make human rights truly impactful in practice.
🔗 Register now: www.iir.cz/online-bridg...
How can Central Europe thrive in the age of digital trade? 💻
Join us on 4 November 2025 at the IIR for a lecture by Tomas Rogaler, who will unpack how digital trade is regulated across Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
👉 Register now!
iir.cz/inside-digit...
Professor Kåre Dahl Martinsen from the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies discussed China’s subtle interference in Europe, showing how Beijing uses economic influence, diplomacy, and institutional power to shape Western behaviour — a strategy he described as “legal and normative warfare.”
Sergej Medvedev from Charles University opened his introductory speech with the thought that: “It’s not the new Cold War. It’s the unfinished Second World War.”
#CSF2025
"Cold wars, unlike hot wars, do not have a clear start; they have a clear ending, however.”
Professor Barry Buzan used this point to highlight how today’s geopolitical tensions lack a defined beginning yet show familiar patterns of rivalry and competition reminiscent of the Cold War era.
#CSF2025
Mariya Grinberg was more cautious about calling the current tensions a Second Cold War. She noted:
“I do think we’re not quite in a Cold War, but I’m not entirely sure that makes things any better.”
#CSF2025
Heidi Hardt spoke about the uncertainty of U.S. foreign policy, particularly its shifting stance on the war in Ukraine, which she described as “extremely unpredictable.”
#CSF2025
