Dr. Aijan SharshenovaLink opens in a new window, SHAPEDEM-EULink opens in a new window research fellow, started a month-long in-residence visiting fellowship at the Eureast Platform at the University of Ghent. The EureastLink opens in a new window Platform engages in academic collaboration with academics from Eastern Europe and Eureasia. Aijan will present her ongoing work on academic positionality, self-censorship and resilience in Central Asia.

SHAPEDEM-EU, an EU-funded Horizon project with the participation of the University of Warwick, produced a new publication by Richard Youngs and Elena Ventura (Carnegie Europe). "The EU pushes back a new democracy plan: A mistake? A review of the Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy" critically assesses the EU's 2020-2024 Action Plan and its mid-term review, examining the implications of their design and implementation. The publication is available as open access at the linkLink opens in a new window.

WESIC and the Sustainability Spotlight organised the first learning circle to empower researchers at all career stages in developing interdisciplinary research projects. Dr. Ludovica Gazze from the Department of Economics shared insights into the development of the 'ECLIPS' project, a cross-disciplinary collaboration submitted to the UKRI cross research council responsive mode pilot.

The workshop also featured networking opportunities, discussions on potential project ideas, and a chance to form project teams.

Dr Feng Mao attended the GlobalGoals2024 conference, held in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from 28 to 30 August 2024. The conference provided a platform for discussing and debating the future of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the conference, Dr Mao delivered a talk on the potential of serious games in supporting the achievement of the SDGs. While serious games can help address individual goals, we should leverage the power of games to explore alternative mechanisms and innovative approaches that drive meaningful transformations in SDG implementation and governance beyond 2030. By capitalising on their strengths in promoting participation, co-creation, envisioning, and social simulation, serious games offer a promising opportunity to play a critical role in advancing these global goals.

Professor Korosteleva and Dr Hansbury represented the WUB-hub on 28 August at the Foreign Office London when briefing a new Head of Mission appointed for Belarus. During the roundtable inter alia the issues of democratic political structures, foreign policy, and civil society developments were discussed.