Institute for Global Sustainable Development » IGSD News (tag [2025])

Horizon Europe SHAPEDEM-EU Final Review with the European Commission

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:46:00 GMT

The Horizon Europe SHAPEDEM project concludes with its final review conference on 20 January 2026, with the European Commission. The consortium, comprising 12 partners from Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Lebanon, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, and the UK, represented by the University of Warwick, presented its work to the panel of evaluators. The project focused on assessing the understanding and practices of democracy in the eastern and southern neighbourhoods, as well as the EU support for democracy as a composite stakeholder. Warwick was responsible for undertaking work - fieldwork and analysis - in the six countries in the eastern neighbourhood (WP2), drawing on the results of online surveys, focus groups, interviews, and roundtables. WP2 specific outputs included 8 published, submited and projected publications.

It has been three challenging years of research, including overcoming the obstacles of BREXIT, Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, Belarus civil war, Gaza war, and increasing geopolitical complexity around the globe. Yet, the project went beyond all expectations and has achieved a lot, including critiquing and offering specific recommendations to the EU on how best to support democracy efforts in around the globe. Team Warwick – including Anastasiia Kudlenko and Aijan Sharshenova – is grateful to the EU, UKRI and especially to the consortium and its leadership – for the support, and inspiration. Thank you!

Professor Korosteleva was invited to give a keynote, and contribute to an ECR session at the Lithuanian Annual Conference on Resilience, Vilnius 3-5 December 2025

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Professor Korosteleva was invited to give a keynote at the Lithuanian Annual Conference on Resilience, at Vilnius University, School of International Relations on 3-5 December 2025. She based her presentation on her newly published book 'Complexity and Community in IR: Nurturing Resilience in Central Eurasia', in which she highlighted the role of communities in making alternative futures possible. Professor Korosteleva was also invited to contribute to a workshop with ECRs, along with Prof. Anders Wivel, Copenhagen University. For more info see here.

Final conference 'Turning Point: Realising a Sustainable Security Architecture for Europe', 26 nov 2025

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 18:01:00 GMT

On 26 November 2025 I attended the final conference 'Turning Point: Realising a sustainable security architecture for Europe', organised by Dr Gry Thomasen (PI) from BASIC | The British American Security Information Council in Vienna. The project explored the need to rethink the security architecture in light of the geopolitical challenges, the crisis of the rule-based order, and climate change. I was honoured to be on the International Advisory Board for this project, to share my thinking about the multi-order world, and to contribute feedback to the final report.

The conference also touched upon the future of transatlantic security, and the implications of Putin's war Ukraine for the International Liberal Order. The final discussion brought many experts, and senior Foreign Ministry and MOD officials from the UK, Denmark, Ukraine, Holland, Lithuania, Latvia and Norway. I am thankful to Gry Thomasen for this opportunity and look forward to continuing our work in the direction of comprehensive security and resilience! For reference, please check out my new book on Resilience here.

THINK ROAD FORUM 2025 in Tashkent, 18-19 November 2025

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:31:00 GMT

https://www.iais.uz/en/eventproduct/think-road-forum-2025-rethinking-sustainable-development-in-central-asia-in-the-age-of-emerging-regionalism

Professor Korosteleva was invited to speak at the higher-level policy forum at UWED, Uzbekistan. The forum attracted both policy-makers, practitioners and academics, from the region and globally. The forum was opened by keynote speeches from H.E. Sodyq Safoev, 1st Deputy Chairman of the Senate and the Rector of UWED; by H.E. Javlon Vakhabov, Deputy Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan, and Director of the International Institute for Central Asia; and Prof. Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, Director of the Centre for Governance and Markets, University of Pittsburgh. Elena spoke at the next panel on the Geopolitical and Security Considerations for Sustainable Development of Central Asia, where she addressed the emergence of multiorder world, and the role of Central Asia in setting the example of a sovereign vision for sustainability in the region and globally.

The forum continued over two days, and the full programme is attached.

Fieldtrip to Uzbekistan: project & funding scoping with UWED, 12-17 Nov 2025

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:50:00 GMT

Professor Korosteleva was invited to participate in the UWED research funding and project activities during 12-15 November 2025, organised and hosted by the Institute of Advanced International Studies. The week of learning brought together 30 researchers from different fields of knowledge - international politics, economics, sociology, anthropology, and legal studies - to focus on the issues and challenges of sustainable development and how they can be addressed through research collaboration and funding-building. Professor Korosteleva shared her experience of leading IGSD and chairing the Sustainability Spotlight, as well as her experience of being involved in the EU - UPTAKE, EUTOPIA, SHAPEDEM - and the UK (COMPASS and COMPASS+, AGRE, AHRC) capacity-building projects.

12th Exploratory Symposium in Rapallo, 26-29 October

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 18:58:00 GMT

EISA organised its 12th exploratory symposium in Rapallo, on the coast of Italy, to host 5 selected workshops over three nights, to explore research themes, to present papers, consider funding opportunities and publications. Professor Korosteleva was invited to participate in 'Resilience, complexity and relationality: A comparative analysis of resilience policies, practices and narratives in China and Europe'. The workshop was convened by Dr Julia Trombetta (Nottingham Ningbo), and in addition to Elena, also included Profs. David Chandler (Westminster), Emilian Kavalski (Tampere), and Liv Nielson (EUI/SDU). The workshop explored various aspects of resilience, and focused on unpacking resilience as anticipatory governance and mobilisability of society.

Warwick hosting an Uzbek delegation to sign an MOU

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:04:00 GMT

On the 16th October the University of Warwick signed an MOU with El-Yurt Umidi Foundation for the training of prospective personnel and students, from Uzbekistan. The Delegation was led by Professor Gulnoza Ismayilova, its Executive Director. She signed an MOU with Warwick, represented by Professor Virinda Kalra, DPVC International, and accompanied by Professor Elena Korosteleva. This will offer opportunities for introducing spotlights, IGSD STA and various course provision to Uzbekistan Universities and its Early Career Researchers, and other professionals.

16 October: Warwick Sustainability Forum - a follow-up event

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:54:00 GMT

The Sustainability Spotlight, together with IGFSD colleagues, had a follow-up event at WBS, to hear research initiatives from sustainability champions, and to discuss how best the spotlight can support them, in the course of the year. Initiatives came from PAIS, WBS, WMG, Stats, Law, and Economics, offering such a breadth and depth of sustainability research across the university! Thank you to all who joined us on the day, and to Cher and Tanya - for such an efficient (and yummy) organisation and lunch!

23-25 September: SHAPEDEM-EU final conference in Brussels

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:21:00 GMT

On 23-25 September in Brussels I participated in the final SHAPEDEM-EU project conference joined by a sister Embrace project. It is thrilling to see how much we have done over three years taking stock of local democracy perceptions in both neighbourhoods, and engagement from various stakeholders! I was also fortunate to have support from my two talented colleagues Asya Kudlenko & Aijan Sharshenova - indebted to them! I also thank the leadership team - Andrea Gawrich & Fabian Schöppner - for their unwavering determination in the face of so many challenges this project has had, and all my fellow researchers who made this project enjoyable and worthwhile!
As part of WP2 we are expecting a series of outputs, in addition to our reports. These among others, will include our article 'From the communities of practice' to the 'Community of Relations: lessons learned from Ukraine & Belarus' in Contemporary Politics SI, and a book chapter in a joint monograph. My own OUP book 'Complexity & Community in IR: nurturing resilience in Central Eurasia's (out on November 2025) will reference the project and our fieldwork too! Thank you all, especially the European Commission & University of Warwick for the financial & logistical support!!

18-19 September: Stockholm Conference 'Russia through the Eyes of its Neighbours: The Ongoing War and Regional Security'

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:12:26 GMT

Professor Korosteleva was invited to speak at the conference in Stockholm, organised by the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies, Sodertorn University. It focused on examining tendencies both in Russia, and its neighbours following its war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition to academic experts, the conference included representatives from Swedish SIDA, Swedish Defence Research Agency and various government representatives, and the Baltic states and Finland. In her presentation Elena focused on 'the Absent People NO MORE, of Central Eurasia', and how this may change the dynamics of Russian order-building in the short- and long-terms.

Professor Korosteleva also met with researchers from the Stockholm Resilience Centre to discuss options for collaborations.