The Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and the Harriman Institute present:
Academic Exchanges and Geopolitical Conflict
Event Details:
Thursday, February 13, 2025
4:00pm-6:00pm
1512 International Affairs Building
Speakers:
Julie Newton, Research Fellow, Russian and Eurasian Studies Centre, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford
Matthew C. Waxman, Liviu Librescu Professor of Law, Columbia University
Moderated by:
Alexander Cooley, Claire Tow Professor of Political Science, Barnard College
Co-organized by:
V. Page Fortna, Director, Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies; Harold Brown Professor of US Foreign and Security Policy, Department of Political Science, Columbia University
Description:
Can academic exchanges that are intended to foster understanding and appreciation of the complexities of territorial conflicts function as intended in conditions of ongoing major conflict? In this session we will explore how major conflict and geopolitical controversy has impacted US and EU-based scholars involved in academic exchanges with Russia and Israel.
Exchanges have long been an important facet of both U.S.-Russia and U.S.-Israel relations, supporting diplomacy, research on regional politics, and cross-cultural dialogue. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, some of these academic relationships have been severed, others have drastically transformed and still others have persisted. Moreover, the sanctioning of Russia by the West and international calls for sanctioning of Israel have further complicated the purpose and operations of networks of academic exchange, drawing external scrutiny to their purpose and role within these conflicts.
Acknowledging both the value of academic exchanges and the present obstacles to their successful implementation, this panel will explore the following questions: Should academic networks be “beyond politics”? What are the principles or issues that network leaders must balance or weigh at such times? And how should university leaders and scholars think about the value and trade-offs associated with fostering expert and academic dialogues in such challenging circumstances?
About:
This panel is part of an ongoing event series titled, “Academic Upheaval in a Time of Geopolitical Conflict: How Gaza and Ukraine have Impacted Communities of Research and Learning.” It is funded by the Columbia University Provost Office’s Dialogue Across Difference Initiative (read more here), and co-organized by the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and the Harriman Institute at Columbia University.
