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.

IGSD Research Fellow Dr Aijan Sharshenova (SHAPEDEM-EU Project) participated in the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) event organised by the European Commission, UKRO and UUKi. The event took place at the University College London on June 26^th and focussed on promoting MSCA funding programmes: MSCA Doctoral NetworksLink opens in a new window, MSCA Postdoctoral FellowshipsLink opens in a new window, MSCA COFUNDLink opens in a new window, and MSCA Citizens.Link opens in a new window

IGSD Research Fellow Dr. Aijan SharshenovaLink opens in a new window (SHAPEDEM-EULink opens in a new window project) gave a keynote speech at the “Research and Higher Education in Central Asia and the Caucasus” SymposiumLink opens in a new window organised by the Volkswagen FoundationLink opens in a new window in Hannover, Germany on June 10-12, 2024. The Volkswagen Foundation is a private research funding organisation, which supports education and research worldwide. The Symposium took the stock of the 25 years of the Foundation's Central Asia and Caucasus portfolio.

Dr. Sharshenova delivered a keynote speech on making an academic career in Central Asia offering her insights and recommendations to early career researchers from the region. Dr. Sharshenova is a former recipient of the Volkswagen Foundation's research grant.

SHAPEDEM-EU organised an online expert discussion to explore the root causes and future implications of the ongoing mass protests in Georgia against the adoption of the "foreign agents" law. The discussion featured an in-house expertise - Dr. Nona MikhelidzeLink opens in a new window (Istituto Affari Internazionali), Kristina Pitalskaya (EaP Civil Partnership), and Dr. Aijan Sharshenova Link opens in a new window(University of Warwick).

The discussion took place on May 10th via zoom and was open to the public.

The SHAPEDEM-EU Link opens in a new windowProject unites 12 academic, research and civil society institutions in an effort to rethink and reshape EU democracy support in the Eastern and Southern neighbourhoods.

Professor Korosteleva was invited by the EUISS to speak onshtag resilience and the need to rethink EU support for Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, at the European Council Building, Brussels. The meeting was attended by the officials from the European Commission, External Action Service, and country representatives working towards developing a new strategy, based on resilience. This was research with impact, in the making.