IGSD News

On 17 January 2025 Professor Korosteleva (IGSD) met with Professor Fariz Ismailzade (ADA University) to discuss further plans for cooperation between Warwick and Azerbaijan, to address their respective governments' priorities. The meeting was hosted by Baroness Suttie, member of the EU Committee, and a strong supporter of partnership development with Central and Asia and the Caucasus.

On 17 January 2025 WUB-hub, Prof. Korosteleva and Dr Hansbury, were invited to welcome a new cohort of Belarusian-in-exile John Smith Trust Fellows, a UK government initiative, hosted by Baroness Suttie, House of Lords. Discussion focused on the issues of the forthcoming non-election in Belarus, political prisoners, and Belarusian refugees; and various initiatives to support the democratic course of Belarus.

Prof. Korosteleva was invited to join the Warwick Health Innovation networking event, which involved members of Warwick Medical School and Life Sciences, and any other research centres across the university with focus on health. The meeting presented fantastic show-and-tell opportunities to learn about various initiatives across Warwick, and ways to collaborate and engage in the future, including via various funding initiatives.

In partnership with NATO PDD, and Stockholm Centre for East European Studies (SCEEUS), WUB-hub organised a high-level European Belarus Forum on 13 December 2025 at the Mission of Belarus Democratic Forces, in Brussels, as part of the Belarus week. The event was attended by Belarusian experts, and representatives of NATO, EU institutions, Swedish diplomats and Belarusian democratic forces. Major challenges and opportunities for Belarus 2025 were discussed, as well as the support for capacity-building of intellectual and social capital within the country. The event was preceded by a book pre-launch of 'The Unbroken Generation: Youth Voices of Belarus 2020', to be released in January 2025, by Skaryna Press, with the support of WUB-hub Research England funds.

Professor Korosteleva and Dr Hansbury attended a high-level conference in Brussels, as part of a week-long activities organised by the EU institutions on Belarus in Brussels. The conference opened with speeches from Robert Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic forces. The conference discussed pathways forward for a democratic future of Belarus, and measures to address the continued violations of human rights and a rising number of political prisoners in the country.